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Ever wondered if a simple act, like standing up, could be a profound predictor of your overall health and longevity? That’s what the science says. Recent research has indicated a striking correlation between our ability to stand up from the ground with minimal support and decreased all-cause mortality. That is death from anything. But before you hop onto your feet, let’s delve into the nuances of this finding… Recently I received this question on a video about this research: “i would make a distinction between getting up off the ground without placing your hands on the ground, and getting up without placing either your hands OR knees on the ground. The former is relatively easy, the latter much harder. Which one is the real test of longevity?” And indeed, this is what the science looked at. Essentially, a point was knocked off for each and every touchpoint involved. Touch your hands to the ground and you lose points. Touch your hands to your knees and you lose points. Touch your knees to the ground and you lose points. But each of these was less so from what was above it. So, which of these holds the secret to longevity? They both are. It’s not like this ability is something magical in and of itself. Being able to get down and up off the ground without touching hands or knees on the ground is best. It shows a great ability to move. And if you move better, you are, overall, less likely to die. But still being able to get down and up off the ground anyway is still some movement ability. The elderly falling down and not being able to get up is a sad, and sometimes deadly, cliché. Remember, longevity isn’t just about the number of years we live, but the strength and vigor with which we live them. And movement is correlated with vigor. No doubt about it. |