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Doctor says adults should score 8 points or higher on this simple longevity test

People who fail are more likely to die in six years.

via Pexels
A woman sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat

Everyone wants to know how long they will live and there are many indicators that can show whether someone is thriving or on the decline. But scientists have yet to develop a magic formula to determine exactly how long someone should expect to live. Which, let's be real, is probably a good thing. Knowing exactly how much time you have left to enjoy your life could cause a lot of anxiety, to say the very least.

However, a doctor recently featured on the "Today" show says a straightforward test can reveal the likelihood that someone aged 51 to 80 will die in the near future. NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar was on the "Today" show on March 8 and demonstrated how to perform the simple “sit to stand test” (aka sit-rising test or SRT) that can help determine the longevity of someone between 51 to 80.

The test is pretty simple. Go from standing to sitting cross-legged, and then go back to standing without using any parts of your body besides your legs and core to help you get up and down. The test measures multiple longevity factors, including heart health, balance, agility, core and leg strength and flexibility.


- YouTubewww.youtube.com

You begin the test with a score of 10 and subtract points on your way up and down for doing the following:

Hand used for support: -1 point

Knee used for support: -1 point

Forearm used for support: -1 point

One hand on knee or thigh: -1 point

Side of leg used for support: -1 point


A 2012 study published by the European Society of Cardiology found a correlation between the SRT score and how long people live.

The study was conducted on 2002 people, 68% of whom were men, who performed the SRT test and were followed by researchers in the coming years. The study found that “Musculoskeletal fitness, as assessed by SRT, was a significant predictor of mortality in 51–80-year-old subjects.”

Those who scored in the lowest range, 0 to 3, had up to a 6 times greater chance of dying than those in the highest scores (8 to 10). About 40% of those in the 0 to 3 range died within 11 years of the study.

aging, seniors, senior fitness, senior citizens, older adults, longevity, health, death, dyingNo matter what age you are, adding regular exercise to your life will reap a ton of benefits.Canva Photos

Azar distilled the study on "Today," saying: "The study found that the lower the score, you were seven times more likely to die in the next six years.”

"Eight points or higher is what you want," Azar said. "As we get older, we spend time talking cardiovascular health and aerobic fitness, but balance, flexibility and agility are also really important," she stressed. A score of eight or nine means you're allowed to roll forward onto your knees and then rise, which a lot of people will find more comfortable. If you can rise that way, you're still in a pretty good spot health wise.

One should note that the people who scored lowest on the test were the oldest, giving them a naturally elevated risk of death.

Dr. Greg Hartley, Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist and associate professor at the University of Miami, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that we should take the study with a grain of salt. “Frailty, strength, muscle mass, physical performance—those things are all correlated to mortality, but I would caution everybody that correlation doesn’t mean causation,” he said.

And of course, the test doesn't take into account injuries or disabilities that may make doing the test impossible. But one of the study's authors says that the study is a call to take our mobility seriously.

“The more active we are the better we can accommodate stressors, the more likely we are to handle something bad that happens down the road,” Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo, told USA Today.

What should you do if you can't manage a good score on the SRT? First of all, don't panic! It's never too late to improve your overall health, fitness, and strength, so regular exercise is a great thing to incorporate if you're not already doing it.


seniors, longevity, physical fitness, exercise, health, agingEven low-impact exercise like yoga can increase your mobility and flexibility and, thus, your SRT scoreCanva Photos

A couple of specific skills that will help are boosting your ankle flexibility, hip mobility, and core strength. Trainers recommend incorporating squats, lunges, and planks into your regular routine. Just using your own bodyweight is plenty to get started, though if you're up for incorporating any added loads, the strength training will do wonders for your bone density, as well.

But remember that the SRT is just a measure of strength and mobility, which could correlate to an older person's likelihood of suffering from a fatal fall. It doesn't do anything to measure your cardiovascular help (vitally important especially in older people), for example. And it may not even be the most reliable longevity test out there. It has been criticized for it's extremely unnatural range of motion, for starters — rising by pushing up on the sides of our ankles with our knees pointed outward is certainly not representative of a real-life situation. Some doctors insist that your comfortable walking speed is a better indicator of health and longevity, while others say grip strength is the key measurement.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Volunteer uses her incredible singing voice to comfort dying patient on 'final journey home'

The woman requested her and her husband's favorite song, "The Power of Love."

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What a beautiful way to show up for others.

There's something really magical about what music does to our brains. Have you ever found yourself remembering a commercial jingle you haven't heard in decades? Or have you ever wondered why you can't remember what you ate yesterday but you can recite the lyrics of thousands of songs on-demand without even thinking?

If you've ever seen the end of the 2017 Disney movie Coco, you also know that music can trigger memories, emotions, a boost of energy, and even joy in people who are otherwise nearly unresponsive or have lost much of their will to go on. And if you're thinking that was just an incredibly emotional moment in a sweet movie, it's true; science backs it up. That makes it an amazing and mysterious therapeutic tool in medical settings, and an incredible way to comfort people who may be scared or confused.


gif from the movie CocoMiguel and Mama Coco from Coco.Giphy

Yvon Kanters, a social worker, has been volunteering in nursing homes for years. She has gone viral for her incredible interactions with patients, where she uses her beautiful voice to connect with them and bring them joy in dark moments.

In one recent video, Kanters is shown riding in the back of an ambulance with a woman on a stretcher. The woman is a cancer patient who had just been told by doctors that there was no further treatment available. This would be her last ride home from the hospital. Kanters volunteered to come along and sing the woman a song for comfort.

"When we walked into the room, she was there with her husband and was very optimistic, she was very full of life," Kanters told Newsweek. "We brought her to the ambulance and then asked her, 'I'm a singer and I'm coming along for the day, is there something you want to hear?' She and her husband, they love each other—their love is so visible. She said she and her husband's song was 'The Power of Love.'"

"The Power of Love," of course, is the hit single by Jennifer Rush from 1984. The next year year, it became the number one song in the UK. A cover by Celine Dion years later made it the biggest song in the US. It's an incredibly romantic song, and it speaks volumes about the woman's life that she would choose to hear it at this moment.

"As I sang, I saw tears well up in her eyes. A song that held so much more meaning than just words and melody. After this moment, we continued with a small, intimate living room concert... one that will stay in my heart forever," Kanters said.

Watch the incredible moment here:

@yvonkanters

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 | 𝗠𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗭𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 Sommige ontmoetingen blijven je altijd bij. Gisteren zong ik voor een bijzondere vrouw, een vechter vol levenslust. Ze werd door Zuster Anita van de middencomplex ambulance naar huis gebracht om haar laatste tijd met haar geliefden door te brengen. Geen spoedrit, maar een rit vol betekenis. Ze hield van álle muziek, maar toen ik vroeg of ze een speciaal liedje had samen met haar man, hoefde ze niet na te denken: "The Power of Love." Terwijl ik zong, zag ik de tranen in haar ogen verschijnen. Een lied dat zoveel meer betekende dan alleen muziek. Na dit moment deden we nog een klein huiskamerconcert.. een herinnering die voor altijd zal blijven. Dankjewel Zuster Anita, en dankjewel aan deze prachtige vrouw voor het delen van dit bijzondere moment. Liefde is de kracht die blijft. 💛✨ #ThePowerOfLove #AmbulanceZorg #MiddencomplexAmbulance #MuziekVerbindt #LiefdeEnVerbinding #MuziekInDeZorg #Muziektherapie #YvonKanters ______________________________ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 | 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 Some encounters stay with you forever. Yesterday, I sang for a remarkable woman, an fighter full of life. She was being transported home by Nurse Anita and the mid-complex ambulance, a service for patients who need medical supervision but no emergency care. No sirens, but a journey filled with meaning. She loved all kinds of music, but when I asked if she had a special song with her husband, she didn’t hesitate: "The Power of Love." As I sang, I saw tears well up in her eyes. A song that held so much more meaning than just words and melody. After this moment, we continued with a small, intimate living room concert.. one that will stay in my heart forever. Thank you, Nurse Anita, and thank you to this beautiful woman for sharing this moment with me. Love is the power that never fades. 💛✨ #ThePowerOfLove #AmbulanceCare #MidComplexAmbulance #MusicUnites #HealingThroughMusic #MusicTherapy #YvonKanters

Over four million people watched the video and couldn't get enough of the kindness and compassion on display.

Commenters were absolutely stunned:

"It’s the most beautiful thing I saw today"

"this needs a warning, I'm at work crying"

"oh my god what a wonderful way to go"

"The look of love, care and compassion in this young lady’s eyes for her fellow human - beautiful"

"former hospice nurse here.. I absolutely love this!"

Music is an amazing tool for patients who are near death or suffering from severe dementia. It lives in parts of the brain that are usually less affected by Alzheimer's and dementia, often making music memories the last "to go" as brain function and bodily systems fail.

Even younger people with great memory loss have been shown to remember how to play music or sing lyrics or even dance despite not knowing the names of their loved ones. This phenomenon, crucially, is not just a novelty. It's a proven tool that caregivers use to connect with their patients. Studies show that mood and engagement actually improves in patients after hearing and interacting with music, not just during.

Live music, too, carries a special power. Having a real human being singing to you stimulates the brain more powerfully than listening to recorded music does, forming a unique connection between performer and audience that a speaker can't replicate.

@yvonkanters

AVE MARIA | Rudy (English below) Ik ben net zo fan van Rudy als jullie! Daarom wil ik dit prachtige gebed ook laten horen. Rudy heeft in zijn leven veel steun gehad aan muziek. Het was zijn manier van communiceren naar de buitenwereld. Het is een manier van luisteren en antwoorden op elkaar. Dat vind ik ook heel duidelijk te zien aan hem. Hij luistert zo bijzonder goed naar het notenbeeld en wat er gaat komen. Daarop reageert hij weer. Het is een dans van woorden in het Latijn. Een prachtige verbinding en kippenvel. Dank Rudy ♥️ #zingen #dementie #liefde #zorg #fyp #viral #avemaria #gounod #muziektherapie #muziek ———————— AVE MARIA | Rudy I'm just as much of a fan of Rudy as you are! That's why I want to share this beautiful prayer. Rudy has had a lot of support from music in his life. It was his way of communicating to the outside world. It is a way of listening and responding to each other. I think that is very clear in him. He listens very well to the notes and what is to come. He then responds again. It is a dance of words in Latin. A beautiful connection and goosebumps for me. Bless his soul♥️ #singing #dementia #love #care #fyp #viral #avemaria #gounod #musictherapy #music

In another clip from Kanters, she sings "Ave Maria" to an elderly man with dementia who miraculously perks up and even manages to sing along. It's incredible to watch, and it demonstrates that we're really just beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to the power of music as a therapeutic tool.

But for now, it's just amazing and heartwarming to watch a beautiful moment between a volunteer artist and someone in need.

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I had a couple of months to live and what I'm grateful for is not what you'd think

I did find joy in just the tiniest of ways. Here are a few of them.

Sometimes, although well-intentioned, people say the most infuriating stuff when you're facing a health crisis. I know, because it happened to me. After being diagnosed with a fast-moving aortic aneurysm, I was told I was on borrowed time. What a concept! As if I'd gone to the bank and taken out a "time-loan."

Soonish after, I was being lifted onto a gurney by a bunch of dudes who never did introduce themselves. Luckily, I had an amazing surgeon at a top-notch hospital and they took my heart out, (I was on a breathing machine, relax), stitched it up with some kind of polyester netting and sent me off to recovery.

I recall, just seconds before I went under, someone in the room announcing my name, age, height and reason for surgery. Cecily Knobler, 25 year-old female (just kidding, but no one needs my REAL age) 62 inches, aneurysm in the aortic root. I remember thinking in that split second, we are so much more than our names and our inches. We are wine-cooler nights at a mosquito-ridden park in 11th grade. We are the love we had for our dogs and our Big Dipper starry-night crushes and our favorite New Wave songs. We are not our skin or our chemo or our lungs or our fear.

Sometimes when you're in that hospital bed, loved ones just don't know what to say. A lot will tell you once it's all behind you, you'll have a new lease on life. The sunshine will be sunnier, that every breath is a gift, blah, blah, blah. The truth is sometimes it's hard to not get stuck in the woe-is-me cycle of "why did this happen to me?" and/or "what next?"

But I did find joy in just the tiniest of ways. Here are a few:

A strawberry milkshake

strawberry shake in clear drinking glass Photo by Denis on Unsplash

Yep. That simple. Someone went to the cafeteria in the hospital and surprised me with a frothy delicious milkshake I didn't even know I needed. Paired with my tasty IV drip, it was just what the doctor didn't order!

My hospital TV had HBO

lena dunham what GIF by Girls on HBOGiphy

I mean, once I was able to understand the remote, I was overjoyed to see I could watch old episodes of Girls. It hit differently on very little sleep, but I loved it just the same.

A video of my dog

Hungry Dog GIF by Rashmi ChadhaGiphy

A friend who was keeping my mutt while I was "away" sent me iPhone footage of him rolling around in some dirt. It made my heart so full, I almost had to get surgery again!

A night nurse made me laugh

Vintage Nurse GIFGiphy

One of the day nurses and I got into a little tiff. She was trying get me to do a lap on my walker (which apparently is quite good for you) and I told her, "No thanks." We went back and forth for awhile and she finally gave up. Later, when my favorite nurse started his shift at 7:00pm, I told him she had been a bit of a jerk. (I might have used stronger language than that.) He laughed and said, "Oh she's the WORST." This took me by surprise and it was the first laugh I'd had in a long while!

My first bubble bath…3 months later

bored bath GIF by theCHIVEGiphy

After this particular surgery, you're advised to not drive or take baths for 90 days. The driving part I didn't care about, but lavender bubble-baths are my favorite thing. I marked the exact day in my calendar when I could return to that daily habit. And on that day, it was the best darn lavender bubble-bath I'd ever had.

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Health

Thousands of people explained why they're not afraid of dying. Here are their top reasons.

These perspectives might help some people who have a fear of death.

Photo credit: Canva

Fear of death is very common.

Most of us are at least a little bit afraid of dying, or at least not exactly excited about the idea. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, after all, and there's obviously nothing wrong with wanting to live. But there's a difference between wanting to live and being terrified of dying, especially since the latter can have a negative impact on your life. In some cases, fear of death can stop you from fully living—an unfortunately ironic conundrum.

Some fear the dying process itself and whatever pain or suffering they think might go along with that. Some fear the basic idea of no longer existing or the unknown of what, if anything, comes next. Some people fear the death of a loved one more than their own. An extreme fear of death that affects a person's daily life is called thanatophobia, and the Cleveland Clinic estimates that 3% to 10% of the population struggles with it.

Of course, if someone has a debilitating phobia, professional therapy is recommended. However, a person with a less clinical fear of dying may benefit from shifting how they look at and think about death. What's the secret of those who aren't afraid of dying? Thousands of people who don't fear death weighed in on why, and their answers may provide some unconsidered perspective for those stymied by the inescapable reality that their life on Earth will eventually end.

Here are the most popular reasons people said they don't fear dying.

from AskReddit

They are truly living life to its fullest

"Given the hand that I was dealt, I've a lived a life that I am proud of. If I die tomorrow, I know I was a good person who did his best."

"This is absolutely how I feel. I am lucky to finally reach a state of awareness that I didn’t know existed for a longass time. How I see it, everything after this is a bonus. Gotta try to enjoy it, spread as much love and joy as people are willing to receive, and do my best to keep learning and growing (mostly because it brings me fulfillment).

I still don’t want to die yet. But I’m also not afraid of dying like I used to be."

"100% death is something to be acknowledged, reflected upon, respected, and celebrated in a manner that anticipates the unknown. I’m not 'rushing or looking forward to death,' but when it does happen, I’ve lived a full life chasing happiness. No regrets. I feel I made the best choices I could, and lived an honest and wild life. Life is such a wild belle curve, and I’m overly thankful and excited for the persimmons randomly given to me to try as I am about something outrageously fantastic. Finding happiness in the smallest gifts sincerely brings so much peace to my soul."

Living a long life isn't always desirable

"I've seen old age, dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Dying while still yourself is a good life, and is rather be around for a good time, not a long time."

"Ending up with Alzheimer's or dementia is more terrifying to me than either death or a painful one."

"Yep. As a caregiver for the elderly I totally agree with this. Watching the people you love literally become shells of themselves because of those diseases is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever experienced in my life."

"This is my fear after watching a relative with pretty much pieces falling off of them for years while continually being offered life lengthening treatments. Finally a point came where he said no, enough is enough. This is the position that I absolutely do not ever wish to find myself in. His family is still in therapy from being a part of this long, drawn out, horrific process."

Death means rest

"I see death as rest. Life is exhausting, and at some point, we all deserve a break."

"100% my grandpa who fought in WW2 was in his 90s and would always say he was tired of living, but the doctors just kept keeping him alive. He said he lived a great life; just wanted to sleep."

"I was given last rites as a cancer patient in the ICU when I had sepsis a few years ago. I've recovered, but I remember very distinctly that being close to death felt like going 'home' ... mostly because the pain lifted. It was honestly like I'd imagine it felt in the womb. I didn't mind it at all."

"I feel this way, too. Just a sweet rest. I’m just a bit disappointed I won’t be aware of it."

Giving up control and accepting the inevitable

"I only fear a long painful one. I don’t fear what after. It’s gotta be either nothingness or everythingness."

"Because once you’re dead you don’t worry about being dead."

"Because I have no control over it and no reason to think it's unpleasant."

"I was dead for billions of years. Didn't bother me the first time."

"There's only a few things guaranteed in life, and death is one. I have no control over it, so I'm chugging along hoping and trying to be the best person I can be. I feel like I'm failing half the time, but I'm still going."

"Death is as natural as birth. I do not fear the inevitable."

'We sleep every night with no absolute certainty that we'll wake up, yet we don't fear it. I see this as death's training wheels."

Being okay with leading a not-so-notable life

"I'm not actively seeking it, and while there are life choices I would have made differently given the chance, I'm not going to allow myself to be burdened with regret if death approaches. I came from nothing, I'll return to nothing.

Studying history, in any given period of time, there are only a few hundred people of notability out of millions of humans. My insignificance to the passage of time or progress of humanity bothered me when I was younger, but I've come to peace that given the laws of probability, I was always more likely to be among the marginal millions (billions) than the notable few. Moreover, I made a conscious choice that what it takes to be among the notable few would compromise my interests and values too much. I'd have to give up family, passions, ethics, or something else I hold dear."

"What I also find interesting is even the most notable humans in history will one day be forgotten. Nothing humans do or achieve is permanent in the big picture of the universe. Take from that what you will. For me, it allows me to breathe and relax. I suppose some people will use that as justification for doing horrible things in the world. I don’t. I still strive to be the best version of myself."

"I also find a lot of value in appreciating that even if my name isn't remembered in history books, the kindness I show others - often just those in my immediate orbit, it's not like I have a huge platform or following - has a rippling effect that never really ends. Even if I just inspire another random citizen to do something kind, or thoughtful, or brave - that's a behavior that may never have come into our world had it not been for my actions. And then what might THAT person's actions inspire? How far will that chain reaction go? Recognizing that you truly can't even quantify the true impacts of your goodness helped me appreciate that doing good in my daily life is enough. Sure, I might not catch the attention of the press or historians, but I know I have inspired positive change in this world that reaches wider than I will ever know, and that is enough for me to keep trying."

Near death experiences changing their perspective

"Near death experience moved me from 'I’m scared of death' to 'hm, was that it?'"

"I had one of those. A complete calm came over me and I just thought, 'Ah, so this is how I die.'"

"Yes, almost died, kind of did die because my heart stopped a few times and came back on its own. Postpartum pre eclampsia. At first there was panic like, oh my god I'm gonna die and worrying about my babies. Then it was just calm. Like, this is fine. Very peaceful."

"I had a similar sensation when I almost died giving birth to my daughter. I was bleeding excessively during a cesarean and could feel myself slipping away as I continually lost and regained consciousness. I felt very peaceful. I knew my child would be loved and everything would be ok and that I could rest."

"I also almost died of sepsis/organ failure after ruptured appendix… there was 3 days of uncertainty if I would live. All I remember was peace. Felt like everything was right. I felt the presence of everyone Iv ever known who is dead which I still question… people I would never have been thinking about. Then when I was actually coming back to myself I became more and more fearful… possibility of being on dialysis forever or leaving loved ones behind. Changed me for sure."

"That’s how I felt after my motorcycle accident. That’s the closest I had come to death and still don’t know how long I was out for. Glad to still be here but death no longer scares me."

See more responses here.

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