Flexibility adds years to our life

If you are over 50 years old and getting up from the floor requires both hands, you better watch out. You may not live as long as your flexible counterparts.

Those who can sit down and get up using only one hand — or no hands at all — are likely to live for longer, a study found. But those needing extra assistance, such as getting up on their knees or using two hands, are up to six times more likely to die prematurely.

Researchers said the ease with which someone could stand up from a sitting position on the floor — and vice versa — was ‘remarkably predictive’ of physical strength.