Getting Up and Down Off the Floor Could be a Real Life Saver.

Sounds kind of silly doesn’t it. How could getting up and down off the floor save your life. Well, obviously if you’ve fallen and can’t get up in a dangerous situation, like a fire, you would likely not make it out of the situation alive. What I’m talking to you about is the fact that the easier it is for you to get up and down, or down and up, off the floor does have significant correlation with life expectancy. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2012 showed that people between the ages of 51 – 80 had a better chance of survival from any cause of death when they were able to get up off the floor from a seated position with more ease. That is, less use of support either of their own body or outside sources. They used a sitting-rising test that they scored on a scale of 0 to 10. What they found was there was a continuous trend of longer survival as the scores on this test rose. While the lower score indicates a reduced mortality rate. You can access a video of the test with an explanation of the scoring system at: www.youtoube.com/watch?v=MCQ2WA2T2oA. (Note: you don’t have to be perfect at it to improve your fitness level and reap the benefits of a longer life. The test just gives you parameters and can help establish the place you are starting from and track your progress.) Pretty powerful stuff. We’ve known for a while now that factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular fitness levels are predictors of mortality. Now, we’ve seen that neuromuscular factors are also predictive as well. What that means is that having a certain level of strength, mobility and movement ability is essential to our survival. Not only in emergency situations but also in daily living. What does this mean for the average person? That working on something as simple as getting up and down off the floor can have a huge impact on the length of your life. If you can get up and down off the floor, I would recommend practicing doing so to become better able to do so with as little external support as you can. If you can’t get down on the floor, or back up after you get down without outside help, I would recommend contacting a qualified movement coach or personal trainer to assist you in the process. I’d be happy to set up a consultation with you free of obligation. Contact me today by phone at: 970 412 0355 or email: gift_of_movement@msn.com, and let’s get you moving toward a longer, happier life.