Can you sit down on the floor and stand back up without using your hands?

I ask because this 10-second test might predict how long you’ll live!

You see, a big study came out in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Researchers took 4,282 adults aged 46 to 75 and had them do exactly that: sit down on the floor and get back up.

They scored each person from 0 to 10. You lose a point every time you use a hand, a knee, or something to hold onto, and half a point if you’re wobbly.

Then they followed those people for about 12 years.

Here’s what they found.

Of the people who scored a perfect 10, only 3.7% died.

Of the people who scored 0 to 4, 42% died.

That’s not a small difference. That’s huge.

Now, it’s an observational study, so it doesn’t prove the test itself keeps you alive. But it tells you a lot about what’s going on under the hood.

Getting up and down off the floor takes strength. It takes balance. It takes coordination.

All of that matters.

But I’d argue one of the biggest pieces, and the one almost nobody trains, is hip mobility.

Think about it. To get down to the floor without your hands, your hips have to fold, rotate, and open up. If they’re locked up from years of sitting at a desk and in the car, you’re reaching for the floor with your hands before you even get started.

So here’s your homework:

1. Take the test. Barefoot, on a mat or carpet.
2. Be honest with your score.
3. Pay attention to how it FEELS. Even if you can do it, do your hips feel tight, stiff, or like they’re fighting you on the way down?

If you can’t do it, or if you can but your hips are holding you back, check out the 8-Minute Hip Fix.

It’s a short daily routine built to open up exactly the range of motion you need to get up and down off the ground with control, and keep doing it for the rest of your life.

Check it out here:

-> 8-Minute Hip Fix​

Take the test today. Then retest in a few weeks and see what changes.

— Forest

PS – This test also measures total-body strength, core strength, coordination, and balance. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re training with my kettlebell programs, which hopefully you are if you’re on this email newsletter, that’s going to take care of a lot of that. However, if your hips are very tight, kettlebells will help to some degree, but you’ll probably need more specific work. That’s why I would also recommend the 8-Minute Hip Fix if you try this test and your hips are also tight -> 8-Minute Hip Fix​

PPS – If you have hip, knee, or spine arthritis or another joint issue, skip the test and talk to your doctor first.