This Simple Test Predicts How Long You’ll Live
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People aged 46–75 who score perfectly have an 11x lower death rate than those who failed:
Sit to rise
The reason this works is because it measures key aging indicators like mobility, balance, strength, and coordination.
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your feet straight
- Cross one foot over the other
- Lower yourself to a cross-legged sitting position without using your hands, knees, or other support
- Return to standing the same way
Here’s how to score it:
- Give yourself a total of 10 points to start with: 5 for sitting down, 5 for standing up
- Subtract 1 point for each hand, knee, or other support used
Here’s how to interpret the score:
- High scores (8–10) correlate with lower risk of early death
- Low scores (0–3) correlate with much higher risk of early death
Here’s how to improve your score if it wasn’t perfect, according to the weak point(s) highlighted by your attempt:
- Tight hips: deep squat holds, 90/90 transitions, hip mobility drills
- Weak core: slow roll-ups, floor transitions, sit-to-stand drills, all hands-free
- Poor balance: barefoot training, single-leg holds, controlled step-ups
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
How To Stand Up From The Floor Without Kneeling (3 Simple Methods)
Take care!
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How to Stay Sane – by Philippa Perry
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First, what this book is not: a guide of “how to stay sane” in the popular use of the word “sane”, meaning free from serious mental illness of all and any kinds in general, and especially free from psychotic delusions. Alas, this book will not help with those.
What, then, is it? A guide of “how to stay sane” in the more casual sense of resiliently and adaptively managing stress, anxiety, and suchlike. The “light end” of mental health struggles, that nonetheless may not always feel light when dealing with them.
The author, a psychotherapist, draws from her professional experience and training to lay out psychological tools for our use, as well as giving the reader a broader understanding of the most common ills that may ail us.
The writing style is relaxed and personable; it’s not at all like reading a textbook.
The psychotherapeutic style is not tied to one model, and rather hops from one to another, per what is most likely to help for a given thing. This is, in this reviewer’s opinion at least, far better than the (all-too common) attempt made by a lot of writers to try to present their personal favorite model as the cure for all ills, instead of embracing the whole toolbox as this one does.
Bottom line: if your mental health is anywhere between “mostly good” and “a little frayed around the edges but hanging on by at least a few threads”, then this book likely can help you gain/maintain the surer foundation you’re surely seeking.
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Apples vs Lemons – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing apples to lemons, we picked the lemons.
Why?
It’s a straightforward one today! Apples are great, but…
In terms of macros, apples have more carbs while lemons have more fiber and protein; a win for lemons, we say.
In the category of vitamins, apples have more of vitamin A, while lemons have more of vitamins B1, B5, B6, B9, C, and choline. A clear win for lemons, even before we consider the amount by which they contain more vitamin C (10x more than apples have).
When it comes to minerals, apples have a tiny touch more manganese, while lemons have a lot more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc.
In short, if an apple a day keeps the doctor a way, then lemons could well be your doctor’s retirement plan.
Of course, enjoy either or both though; diversity is good!
You may be thinking: “but I’m not going to eat lemons like I eat apples; this is an unfair comparison”
To that we say:
- you can if you want; nobody can stop you!
- apple slices and lemon slices can often go in similar things (drinks, desserts, etc)
Want to learn more?
You might like:
The Best Foods For Collagen Production ← another reason to enjoy lemons
Enjoy!
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A big, convulsive twitch while dozing off? Sleep experts explain the ‘hypnic jerk’
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You’re gently drifting off to sleep when suddenly your arms and legs convulse and you jolt yourself awake. Or, perhaps you’re relaxing in bed when, out of the blue, your dozing partner does an almighty twitch, scaring you half to death.
This is called a hypnic jerk or sleep start. It is often accompanied by a sensation of falling or tripping over.
An estimated 70% of people will experience this at some point.
So, what causes the hypnic jerk? And can certain factors make it more likely to happen?
Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels A minor misinterpretation
The truth is we don’t know exactly why it happens, but sleep researchers have some theories.
As we transition from wakefulness to sleep, the nervous system winds down and muscles relax.
Sometimes, the brain misreads this relaxation as a sensation of falling or tripping. The brain sends a quick but powerful signal to the body. The hypnic jerk is the result.
Hypnic jerks usually affect one side of the body and are painless. Some people, however, may experience a tingling or painful sensation.
For most people, hypnic jerks are not associated with any health or other sleep problems. When hypnic jerks occur frequently over prolonged period, however, people may come to anxiously anticipate them. This can lead to insomnia.
Are they linked to certain health conditions or medications?
Some research has shown hypnic jerks can be more common among people with certain conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease. One 2016 study suggests hypnic jerks may be a symptom that can occur in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
However, it’s very unlikely they would happen in the absence of other common symptoms, such as changes to movement and mobility or REM sleep behaviour disorder (where people start acting out dreams). These are much more reliable potential indicators of Parkinson’s disease.
Frequent hypnic jerks that disrupt sleep can be a side effect of some prescription medications, particularly antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This includes medications such as escitalopram, sertraline and fluoxetine.
Although considered a rare side effect and the exact cause is still unknown, researchers have reported various cases in which people using these medications experience hypnic jerks, often resolving quickly after stopping the medication.
If you’re on these medications, experiencing hypnic jerks and feel worried about it, chat to your prescribing doctor.
Other medications that contain caffeine, and non-prescribed substances that have stimulating effects, such as cocaine, have also been linked with hypnic jerks.
Good sleep hygiene
Hypnic jerks are normal and generally no cause for concern.
However, certain lifestyle factors can make them more likely. These include:
- sleep deprivation
- stress and anxiety
- excessive intake of stimulants, such as nicotine or caffeinated drinks
- strenuous exercise before bed.
Keeping these factors under control is all part of good sleep hygiene anyway – whether or not you’re worried by hypnic jerks.
Yaqoot Fatima, Professor of Sleep Health, University of the Sunshine Coast; Alexandra Metse, Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Daniel Sullivan, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Inheritance – by Dr. Sharon Moalem
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We know genes make a big difference to a lot about us, but how much? And, the genes we have, we’re stuck with, right?
Dr. Sharon Moalem shines a bright light into some of the often-shadowier nooks and crannies of our genetics, covering such topics as:
- How much can (and can’t) be predicted from our parents’ genes—even when it comes to genetic traits that both parents have, and Gregor Mendel himself would (incorrectly) think obvious
- How even something so seemingly simple and clear as genetic sex, very definitely isn’t
- How traumatic life events can cause epigenetic changes that will scar us for generations to come
- How we can use our genetic information to look after our health much better
- How our life choices can work with, or overcome, the hand we got dealt in terms of genes
The style of the book is conversational, down to how there’s a lot of “I” and “you” in here, and the casual style belies the heavy, sharp, up-to-date science contained within.
Bottom line: if you’d like insight into the weird and wonderful nuances of genetics as found in this real, messy, perfectly chaotic world, this book is an excellent choice.
Click here to check out Inheritance, and learn more about yours!
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Perfectionism, And How To Make Yours Work For You
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Harness The Power Of Your Perfectionism
A lot of people see perfectionism as a problem—and it can be that!
We can use perfectionism as a would-be shield against our fear of failure, by putting things off until we’re better prepared (repeat forever, or at least until the deadliniest deadline that ever deadlined), or do things but really struggle to draw a line under them and check them off as “done” because we keep tweaking and improving and improving… With diminishing returns (forever). So, that’s not helpful.
But, if we’re mindful, we can also leverage our perfectionism to our benefit.
Great! How?
First we need to be able to discern the ways in which perfectionism can be bad or good for us. Or as it’s called in psychology, ways in which our perfectionism can be maladaptive or adaptive.
- Maladaptive: describing a behavioral adaptation to our environment—specifically, a reactive behavioral adaptation that is unhealthy and really is not a solution to the problem at hand
- Adaptive: describing a behavioral adaptation to our environment—specifically, a responsive behavioral adaptation that is healthy and helps us to thrive
So in the case of perfectionism, one example for each might be:
- Maladaptive: never taking up that new hobby, because you’re just going to suck at it anyway, and what’s the point if you’re not going to excel? You’re a perfectionist, and you don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
- Adaptive: researching the new hobby, learning the basics, and recognizing that even if the results are not immediately perfect, the learning process can be… Yes, even with mistakes along the way, for they too are part of learning! You’re a perfectionist, and you’re going to be the best possible student of your new hobby.
Did you catch the key there?
When it comes to approaching things we do in life—either because we want to or because we must—there are two kinds of mindset: goal-oriented, and task-oriented.
Broadly speaking, each has their merits, and as a general topic, it’s beyond the scope of today’s main feature. Here we’re looking at it in the context of perfectionism, and in that frame, there’s a clear qualitative difference:
- The goal-oriented perfectionist will be frustrated to the point of torment, at not immediately attaining the goal. Everything short of that will be a means to an end, at best. Not fun.
- The task-oriented perfectionist will take joy in going about the task in the best way possible, and optimizing their process as they go. The journey itself will be rewarding and a tangible product of their consistent perfectionism.
The good news is: you get to choose! You’re not stuck in a box.
If you’re thinking “I’m a perfectionist and I’m generally a goal-oriented person”, that’s fine. You’re just going to need to reframe your goals.
- Instead of: my goal is to be fluent in Arabic
- …so you never speak it, because to err is human, all too human, and you’re a perfectionist, so you don’t want that!
- Let’s try: my goal is to study Arabic for at least 15 minutes per day, every day, without fail, covering at least some new material each time, no matter how small the increase
- …and then you go and throw yourself into conversation way out of your depth, make mistakes, and get corrections, because that’s how you learn, and you’re a perfectionist, so you want that!
This goes for any field of expertise, of course.
- If you want to play the violin solo in Carnegie Hall, you have to pick up your violin and practice each day.
- If you want to be a world-renowned pastry chef, you have to make a consistent habit of baking.
- If you want to write a bestselling book, you have to show up at your keyboard.
Be perfect all you want, but be the perfect student.
And as your skills grow, maybe you’ll upgrade that to also being the perfect practitioner, and perhaps later still, the perfect teacher.
But just remember:
Perfection comes not from the end goal (that would be backwards thinking!) but from the process (which includes mistakes; they’re an important part of learning; embrace them and grow!), so perfect that first.
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Complex PTSD – by Pete Walker
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We’ve written before about Complex PTSD, but there’s a lot more to be said than we can fit into an article or two.
Pete Walker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, does an excellent job and pulls no punches, starting from the book’s dedication and carrying the hard-hitting seriousness all the way through to the Appendices.
To this end, it absolutely may not be an easy book to read at times (emotionally speaking), especially if you have C-PTSD. On the other hand, you may also find it a very validating 300-odd pages of “Yes, he is telling my life story in words, now this makes sense!”
That said, it’s mostly not an anecdotes-based book and nor is it just a feelsy ride; it’s also a textbook and a how-to manual. It’s a textbook of how and why things come about the way they do, and a manual of how to effectively manage C-PTSD, and find peace. There’s no silver bullet here, but there is a very comprehensive guide, and chapters full of tools to use (and no, not the same CBT things you’ve probably read a hundred times, this is C-PTSD-specific stuff).
Bottom line: this is the C-PTSD book; if you buy only one book on the topic, make it this one.
Click here to check out Complex PTSD: From Surviving To Thriving, and indeed thrive!
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