Can You Stand Up from the Floor? The True Meaning of the "10-Second Lifespan Test"

Picking up something that fell on the floor. Sitting down to play with a child. Standing up after finishing cleaning.

Even in everyday mundane actions, you may find yourself placing your hands on the floor more often or hesitating a bit before standing up compared to before. Such changes might be an opportunity to reassess your physical condition.

The German news site "FOCUS online" introduced a test to evaluate sitting down and standing up from the floor with a headline suggesting that you can determine your risk of death in "10 seconds" on October 29, 2026.

Indeed, there is research showing a correlation between this movement and future mortality risk. However, there is a gap between the impression given by the headline and what the research actually confirmed.

The act of standing up from the floor can be a clue to understanding your physical strength. However, it does not predict an individual's lifespan.

Understanding this difference can turn sensational health news into useful information for daily life.

"Sitting and Standing" involves multiple abilities

The focus here is on an evaluation method called the "Sitting-Rising Test," abbreviated as SRT.

From a standing position, you sit on the floor and then stand up again. During this process, you check how much support was needed and whether the movement was stable.

It may seem simple, but it cannot be done with just leg strength. It also requires sufficient movement of the hips, knees, and ankles, the ability to support your body weight, and the ability to shift your center of gravity without losing posture.

For example, some people have no trouble walking but struggle to lower themselves to a low position. Conversely, some may be flexible but lack the strength to stand up from there.

SRT aims to capture a state where these multiple abilities are combined. It is easier to understand if you think of it as adding information about physical function to regular check-ups rather than competing with blood tests.

Differences in scores and mortality rates observed in a follow-up of 4,282 people

The research was conducted by a team led by Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo from the exercise medicine clinic "CLINIMEX" in Brazil.

The subjects were 4,282 people aged 46 to 75. The median follow-up period was 12.3 years, with 665 natural deaths analyzed, accounting for 15.5% of the total. Deaths due to COVID-19 or external factors such as accidents were excluded.

Looking at the SRT scores, there were the following differences in mortality rates during the observation period:

Looking at the numbers alone, you might be surprised by the large differences.

However, these are the observed rates for each group. You cannot directly apply this to individuals, such as saying, "I scored 4 points, so I have a 42.1% chance of dying in the next 12 years." The follow-up period also varied among participants.

Even in analyses considering age, gender, BMI, and clinical factors, the lowest score group had about 3.8 times the hazard of natural death and about 6.0 times the hazard of death from cardiovascular disease compared to the perfect score group.

This is a relative indicator in the study and does not mean "your lifespan will be a fraction of what it is now."

"10 seconds" is not a time limit

When reading this news, special attention should be paid to the term "10 seconds."

In the study's methodology, participants were instructed to sit and stand using the minimum necessary support without worrying about speed .

Therefore, it is not a competition to finish within 10 seconds. Quickly standing up does not necessarily result in a high score.

Scoring is based on a maximum of 5 points each for sitting and standing movements, totaling 10 points. Points are deducted if you use support such as hands, forearms, knees, or the sides of your legs, and if you lose balance during the movement.

The original article mentions using the buttocks for support, but the original paper's scoring explanation lists "the sides of the legs," among others. Simply having your buttocks touch the floor when sitting should not be understood as a deduction.

Accurate evaluation requires observation by someone who understands the movements and scoring criteria.

A low score is neither a "death sentence" nor a "disease diagnosis"

Here, it's important to distinguish between "correlation" and "causation."

This study was an observational study that followed people who had their physical functions evaluated and examined the relationship with subsequent mortality. It did not prove that being poor at SRT itself causes death.

Also, whether practicing and improving scores extends lifespan cannot be determined from this result alone.

The study subjects were people evaluated at a single clinic in Brazil, and those with musculoskeletal problems or clinical constraints that would prevent them from taking the test were not included. The same numbers cannot be directly applied to people with knee pain or disabilities or to the general population in Japan.

When a low score is obtained, the focus should be on "what makes the movement difficult" rather than "how many more years can I live."

Is it pain, muscle strength, joint movement, or balance? The necessary response varies depending on the cause. It is meaningful to confirm the background rather than diagnosing based solely on the score.

Interest in a perfect score and concerns about knees on social media

This test has been a topic of discussion on overseas social media and forums even before the FOCUS article.

In a Reddit community about bodyweight training, there is a thread on "how to get closer to a perfect score on the standing test."

In it, someone in their 40s was happy to have scored a perfect score but later began to worry about whether the test or its practice put undue stress on their knees after knee problems arose.

In another generational community, there is a post from someone who used to do the test occasionally but began to question whether it was a good movement for their knees.

These are past individual posts about SRT and not a collection of reactions to the current article. They are also not medical evidence showing that the test caused knee problems.

Nevertheless, two perspectives emerge: the interest in confirming one's physical strength with an easy-to-understand score and the question of whether it is okay to push oneself for that score.

Both perspectives are necessary for those reading health information. The ease of wanting to try it and the ability to evaluate it safely are not the same.

Researchers do not position it as a "self-challenge"

Araújo, the research leader, explained in an interview with the medical media TCTMD that SRT is not a self-test or exercise itself but a screening tool to be used in a supervised environment.

This point is important for correcting the perception of "let's try it at home right now."

People with knee, hip, or back pain, dizziness, or unsteadiness, or those who fear not being able to return from the floor should not push themselves alone to score points. If concerned, it is better to consult a doctor or physical therapist and confirm physical function in a way that suits them.

Using hands to stand up is a natural way to ensure safety in daily life. There is no need to endure without support to avoid deductions.

The rules for evaluation in research and the judgment for moving safely in daily life should be considered separately.

In Japanese life, focus on "changes in what you can no longer do"

In Japan, there are situations where people spend time close to the floor, such as laying out futons, using low tables, or sitting on tatami mats. On the other hand, those who live mainly with beds and chairs may rarely sit and stand from the floor.

Therefore, rather than comparing scores with family or friends once, reflecting on what has changed in your life can be more useful as a starting point for consultation.

"It takes longer to stand up than before."
"I feel uneasy without using my hands."
"I've started avoiding sitting on the floor."

If such changes occur, you can specifically convey which movements are difficult and whether there is pain.

Conversely, just because you can stand up lightly from the floor does not mean all health issues are negated. SRT does not replace checks for blood pressure, blood sugar, or necessary health exams and consultations.

Instead of practicing for a perfect score, increase options for physical activity

To apply this research to daily life, there is no need to focus solely on mastering SRT.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's "2023 Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health" recommends adjusting intensity and amount according to individual differences for the elderly and encourages moving the body a little more than now.

It also recommends multi-component exercises combining muscle strength, balance, and flexibility at least three times a week, and strength training two to three times a week. Strength training can be included in multi-component exercises.

One of the recommendations is to avoid prolonged sitting.

However, these are not quotas for everyone to complete the same amount from day one. The premise is to start from what you can do, considering physical strength, chronic conditions, pain, and the risk of falls.

The goal is not to compete for scores with someone on the other side of the screen, but to continue necessary movements in your own life.

To notice your current body rather than predict lifespan

The expression "determine your risk of death in 10 seconds" has the power to grab attention. However, if the discussion stops there, it could lead to anxiety over low scores or undue effort to achieve a perfect score.

The question posed by this study is to also focus on the body's functions, such as muscle strength, flexibility, and balance, when considering health.

If standing up from the floor becomes difficult, confirm the reason. Find exercises you can do safely. Use support when necessary and seek help from experts.

There is no need to determine the future from a single score. Notice changes in everyday movements and reassess today's actions. This test should be seen as a clue for that purpose.

Sources and References

1. FOCUS online:
   Published on October 29, 2026. Introduced sitting and standing from the floor and mortality risk. This article supplements the timing and evaluation positioning by cross-referencing with the original paper.
   https://www.focus.de/gesundheit/longevity/in-nur-10-sekunden-bodentest-zeigt-ihnen-ihr-sterberisiko_5d39f273-ee98-46eb-b270-5870f6f7c13f.html

2. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology: Original research paper
   Confirmed subjects, scoring methods, follow-up results, and analysis conditions. Published online on June 18, 2025. Instructions to perform without worrying about speed are also noted. academic.oup.com
   https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf325

3. TCTMD: Interview article with the research leader
   Confirmed explanation of using SRT as an evaluation method under supervision and that whether score improvement leads to survival benefits is a future research topic. tctmd.com
   https://www.tctmd.com/news/simple-sitting-rising-test-linked-natural-and-cv-mortality

4. Reddit・bodyweightfitness: Consultation on aiming for a perfect score and concerns about knees
   Introduction based on excerpts from publicly available posts obtained through search. Not direct reactions to the current FOCUS article, but past discussions about SRT. reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/1axv2ri/

5. Reddit・GenX: Experiences with the standing test
   Confirmed posts questioning the burden on knees from people who occasionally performed the test, based on publicly available excerpts obtained through search. Introduced as personal impressions. reddit.com ##HTML_TAG_275