How long do you want to live?

If you’re like most people, the answer is simple… as long as I can.

And if your life was in jeopardy, you’d want to know as soon as possible… while there’s still time to do something about it.

Well, Brazilian researchers have developed a simple test that can predict your chances of dying in the next six years.

You can do this test right from home… and it takes about 10 seconds.

In a 2012 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers unveiled something known as the sitting-rising test (SRT).

Basically, you start from a standing position, barefoot. Then you sit on the floor and stand back up again. Simple, right?

Here’s how it works…

For sitting down you can score a maximum of 5 points. And another 5 points for standing back up.

Adding them together, you can score a maximum of 10 points.

However, every time you use a hand, forearm, knee, or side of your leg for support, you lose a point.

Putting your hand on your knee is also considering using a support (so you’d lose a point for that).

You can lose an additional 0.5 points if you’re unstable during any of the actions. For example, partially losing your balance.

So, if you had to put two hands down on the floor before sitting, you’d lose 2 points.

If you had to get up on both knees and use a hand for support to stand, you’d lose another 3 points.

It’s ok to cross your legs while sitting or standing, as long as you’re not using the sides of your feet for support.

A “perfect” score of 10 would indicate you could sit down on the floor and rise back up again without using any support, and without any instability. That’s most common in people in their 20s.

There’s a video on YouTube (here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQ2WA2T2oA) that demonstrates exactly how to do and score the SRT test. Note: It’s in Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles.

What do the scores mean?

The Brazilian researchers gave 2,002 adults between the ages of 51 and 80 the SRT, and then followed them for six years.

The poor folks who scored the worst on the SRT (from 0-3) were up to SIX TIMES more likely to die than the people who scored 8-10.

And their overall life expectancy was estimated to be 3 years lower.

Scoring a 0-3 on the SRT means you could be at serious risk of dying over the next six years.

And, unfortunately, that makes sense.

The SRT is designed to measure frailty and a lack of activity, which have both been linked to early death.

Now, of course, that’s the bad news. But there’s good news, too.

The researchers estimated that for every point you increase your score, your risk of dying decreases about 21%.

So, if you do poorly on the test, take it as a wake-up call. Talk to your doctor about ways to improve your strength, flexibility, range of motion, and activity levels.

One quick thing to keep in mind… the people in the study performed the SRT under close supervision. If you’re concerned about your balance or falling, have something like a chair for support or a person nearby to help.

Yes, you can do this test quickly at home… but you want to make sure you keep yourself safe.