Try this simple test for me and let me know how you went:
Sit down on the ground and get up using only your legs. Don’t rush, but see if you can do it without using your hands, elbows, or knees.
Now tell me - - How didyou go?
If you’re successful at this exercise even after age 40, it could mean that you and your brain are aging more gracefully than most.
The “sitting-rising test” (SRT) is a simple exercise that scientists use to evaluate muscle fitness and total body flexibility. Research suggests that this test also provides a glimpse into how well our bodies have aged biologically and our brains have aged over time.
In a 2014 study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, scientists reported new findings that older adults who were able to perform SRT unaided, or with minimal support, tended to have longer lives than those who couldn’t.
Amazing right?!!
The researchers suggests that as mobility and muscle fitness increase, as determined by SRT measures, so do the chances of a better quality of life.
Leg muscles in particular appear to matter more when outsmarting mortality. One reason is that, leg muscle power happens to be an excellent predictor of cognitive fitness, according to a 2015 study published in Journal of Gerontology.
The way leg power aids cognitive fitness has to do with how regular exercise improves many pathways in the brain, including those related to learning, memory, and mood. One reason why exercise works is because it increases the brain’s synaptic strength and resilience. In addition, exercise stimulates growth of new brain cells and the connections between them.
The Takeaway
So let’s get back to where we started: sitting and rising quickly. How can you improve your SRT scores for a better brain and longer life?
There’s no need to go to extremes with your exercise routine. There are many leg-strengthening exercises that do not include running a marathon or becoming a power lifer.
According to scientists, engaging in simple activities that increase leg muscle fitness will aid the brain. These include exercises like walking, jogging, step climbing, and weight training.
Sit down on the ground and get up using only your legs. Don’t rush, but see if you can do it without using your hands, elbows, or knees.
Now tell me - - How didyou go?
If you’re successful at this exercise even after age 40, it could mean that you and your brain are aging more gracefully than most.
The “sitting-rising test” (SRT) is a simple exercise that scientists use to evaluate muscle fitness and total body flexibility. Research suggests that this test also provides a glimpse into how well our bodies have aged biologically and our brains have aged over time.
In a 2014 study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, scientists reported new findings that older adults who were able to perform SRT unaided, or with minimal support, tended to have longer lives than those who couldn’t.
Amazing right?!!
The researchers suggests that as mobility and muscle fitness increase, as determined by SRT measures, so do the chances of a better quality of life.
Leg muscles in particular appear to matter more when outsmarting mortality. One reason is that, leg muscle power happens to be an excellent predictor of cognitive fitness, according to a 2015 study published in Journal of Gerontology.
The way leg power aids cognitive fitness has to do with how regular exercise improves many pathways in the brain, including those related to learning, memory, and mood. One reason why exercise works is because it increases the brain’s synaptic strength and resilience. In addition, exercise stimulates growth of new brain cells and the connections between them.
The Takeaway
So let’s get back to where we started: sitting and rising quickly. How can you improve your SRT scores for a better brain and longer life?
There’s no need to go to extremes with your exercise routine. There are many leg-strengthening exercises that do not include running a marathon or becoming a power lifer.
According to scientists, engaging in simple activities that increase leg muscle fitness will aid the brain. These include exercises like walking, jogging, step climbing, and weight training.