The simple test that could predict how long you will live

Health & Fitness
20 Jun 2025 • 6:33 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology explored whether a simple sitting-rising test could predict premature deaths.
  • Researchers tested 4,282 adults aged 46-75 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1998 to 2023, to evaluate non-aerobic physical fitness, including muscle strength, flexibility, and balance.
  • The test required participants to sit and rise from the floor without using support from hands, elbows, or knees, with points deducted for any assistance or loss of balance.
  • The study concluded that non-aerobic physical fitness, as assessed by this test, was a significant predictor of natural and cardiovascular mortality.
  • After about 12 years, participants with a perfect 10 score had a 3.7 per cent death rate, while those scoring 0-4 points showed a dramatically higher death rate of 42.1 per cent.

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