What About The Second Test?

The Araujo Test, Or The SRT

The Araujo test is almost as simple as the Tabara test, but there are a few more rules. Basically, all you're going to do is sit down on the floor and stand back up. That's how it got its other name, the Sit Rise Test. 

The Araujo test is scored on a 10-point sliding scale. You lose a point for the following: touching the floor with your knee, elbow, forearm, or the side of your leg, or putting one hand on your knee to brace yourself. You also lose half a point for wobbling or losing your balance at any point. Each of the two movement phases, getting down and getting up, are scored for five points each.

What The Test Tells You

Where the Tabara test is very much oriented towards neurological function, the Araujo test is pointed towards general function. It tests balance, strength, mobility, mechanoreception and other factors, including cardiovascular health. 

It goes back to the time in 2009 when Dr Araujo noticed that many of his older clients were having trouble with simple everyday tasks like getting up and down, picking things up off the floor and other basic movements. That led him to wonder if he could test his patients for the likelihood of a dangerous fall in a simple, real-work way. That's where his sitting test comes from.

The Araujo test is pretty accurate in terms of its health predictions. In a study in the European Journal of Cardiology, Dr Araujo had 2000 patients between 51 and 80 take the SRT. All the test patients were participants in the Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. The findings were surprising: participants who scored less than eight on the SRT were twice as likely as high scorers to die within six years. Those who scored five or less were five times more likely to die within six years. 

So What Should You Do If You Scored Low In These Tests?

First, everyone's different. Some people have great natural balance or have played sports that make strong balance demands. Don't panic!

Secondly, the solution is the same: eat right and exercise. 

Choose an exercise program that's geared towards functional strength and mobility. Gradually improve your balance and coordination. That will allow you to safely exercise at greater intensity down the line and it will also help protect you against falls, slips and trips. 

See Also: Don't Forget Your Back! Use These Moves To Strengthen This Area

What if you're a younger person? The research that went into the creation of these tests was done on older people, 51 years and up. What if you're 25 and you score low in both tests?

That's a warning sign. Younger people should be able to comfortably ace these tests. If you're struggling at them now, it may be time to rethink some lifestyle decisions. Try focusing on mobility, balance and strength until you can do both tests easily, and you'll see the pay-off in every area of your life.