47 ABC attempts the Sitting Rising Test

What if there was a test you could do that would tell you how long you would live? Well, according to a Brazilian doctor there is.

Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo developed the Sitting Rising Test or SRT in the late 1990s, and recently it’s resurfaced on social media.

The test is supposed to predict your risk of dying in the next five years by measuring non- aerobic physical fitness. It’s based on a points system.

To participate in the test, you have to take off your shoes, cross your legs, and sit down. If an individual can do that without using their hands or knees for support, they get five points. Then, the individual must try to stand up the same way they sat down. If the participant is able to complete that task, they’ll receive another five points, which results in a perfect ten.

The 47 ABC News team tired it out. Some folks clearly struggled getting up, but saying they automatically have a greater risk of dying may be misguided. So does the test have any real validity?

Dr. Kristen Iman, a chiropractor in Salisbury replies, “Yes and no. I mean balance, flexibility, and strength are all good to have to prevent hip fractures. You know with falling, there’s a high rate of death after a hip fracture.”

Dr. Iman says people with mobility issues may have a harder time succeeding in this test, but that doesn’t mean they’re less fit or healthy in comparison to someone that gets a ten on the SRT. She had her nine year old niece try and she couldn’t even do it.

Dr. Iman goes on, “So to say that she’s going to die in six years because she can’t do the sit stand test is a bit arbitrary.”

However, Dr. Iman does reinforce that the test is a good indicator of flexibility and strength. Having those traits does decrease your injury rate, which could in turn possibly increase your likelihood of living longer.

Click here to access Dr. Araujo’s Youtube page. He has several videos of people trying to complete the SRT from all over the world.