The Anti-Aging Mobility Series - Ability to Get Up & Down from the Floor

Building on the facebook post by Coach on the twisting squat and the ability to get up and down from the floor, here is the another video from the actual researcher himself from Brazil with english subtitles giving a more in depth clarification. 

Deck Squats would not count, as the area is a 2 x 2 meters, but a Single Leg Squat starting from the bottom position would.

Another criteria seems to be that you should be able to start from the floor. For example, I can do a cossak squat all the way down and then sit my butt down on the floor and then get back up again. However, I can't sit with my legs in any arbitrary position on the floor, then get myself into the bottom position of the bottom portion of the cossack squat with one heel flat on the ground, the other leg outstretched without some upper limb support.

The researcher seems as strict and disciplined as Coach Sommer himself in his requirement for mastery. No faulty execution. Mastery of basics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQ2WA2T2oA

I also found another video on youtube of an older lady taking the test demonstrating an exercise which would make the twisting squats look easy. Very nice mobility. Try it and find out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPO1skal4o

The only three exercises I know of that could be counted for a perfect score of 10 (5 points up and 5 points down) are:

1) Twisting Squats: done in two ways. 

              A) Both ankles rolled outward at bottom of position

              B) One ankle rolled outward and the other foot flat on the ground

2) Single Leg Squat starting from the body position

3) The Chi Gong Butterfly squat, demonstrated by the lady in the video above.

Inside Squats and other Z-sit Squats would get a score of 4/5 since the lateral side of the leg is being used. However, I would include all exercises that score 4/5 or 5/5 in this series.

Here are two more versions I would include in this series (4/5 score):

Shaolin Sitting Stance Twists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-8d_hX8MAE&feature=youtu.be

Z-Sit Rises (practice these in my dance class)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIQ4v2EgHQ&feature=youtu.be

If you have any more versions, please post or link.

very nice collection of videos.  thanks for highlighting this. obviously it is not the ability to get up off the ground that makes you live longer, but what it represents as the rest of your life being like.  If you can do this, the rest of your life is likely rich in moblity and balance, which are well shown to increase life span.  you really can't cheat this one.  GST is one of the best ways to attain then maintain this level of mobility into the future.  

After watching that second video, my new goal is to have the mobility of an elderly woman.

Geez, is that considered elderly?   

Interestingly, I find her way *much* easier than twisting squats.  

Jennifer said:

Geez, is that considered elderly?   

 

Interestingly, I find her way *much* easier than twisting squats.  

Twisting squats are certainly a bit more tricky !!

I don't know if it's me getting old but apart from a little grey hair she doesn't look "elderly" to me and with the little flourish at the end I would guess that maybe she is a dancer of some sort.

Anyway I reckon I'm an 8 on the scale (i hope) cos of poor hip mobility. I've only just found out what the hip flexors are  and one of them is a huge rehab opportunity !

Sorry if I offended.  Anyone who looks older than my mom I think of as elderly.  And I mean that more in the classic term of elder, one who is older and experience, like the town elder.

Why would the twisting squat score a four? The way he stands up at the 2:00 minute mark scores a five and looks identical to the twisting squat.

thecolin said:

Why would the twisting squat score a four? The way he stands up at the 2:00 minute mark scores a five and looks identical to the twisting squat.

What do you mean? Where is the twisting squat scored a four?

Ah, I guess I misread when you were referring to inside squats.

I don't think it's too important to get into the minutia of this study though. As it's really just a tool to evaluate physical degeneration in the elderly. It's a statistical correlation that doesn't really relate inherently to the move itself. I hope people don't read about this and think they're going to have a shorter life because they can't do twisting squats perfectly. 

Yeah, you're not going to live longer just because you make sure to maintain twisting squats into old age 

Joshua Slocum said:

Yeah, you're not going to live longer just because you make sure to maintain twisting squats into old age 

That is so true and obvious that it is kind of like pointing out the sun to somebody by using a flashlight, hence I didn't mention it. 'Living longer' was never the crux of the study. Quality of life in later life was. The study dealt with independent living in old age in Brazil.

"Sitting and rising from the floor is a basic functional task required for autonomy. The inability to perform these and similar actions are closely related to the risk of falling, and if a fall has occurred, the capacity to return to an upright position is critical. "

Old "age" is marked by stiffness in the joints and accompanying physical awkwardness.

Perhaps my subject title "The Anti-Aging Mobility Series" was a bad choice.

I've found that the obvious is only apparent from certain perspectives. Someone coming at something from a different angle will see an entirely different 'obvious'.

Though I guarantee that there's at least one person in the world who's practicing this exclusively thinking that it will give them a longer life. 

thecolin said:

I've found that the obvious is only apparent from certain perspectives. Someone coming at something from a different angle will see an entirely different 'obvious'.

 

Though I guarantee that there's at least one person in the world who's practicing this exclusively thinking that it will give them a longer life. 

you mean like the people who read cosmopolitan for cutting edge modalities and scientifically accurate nutritional information?