Imagine. You are 8 years old. You squirm around on the ground in a variety of positions while playing with your favorite toy. Then your parent yells out for you, and you hop right up off the ground. You didn’t think about it. It happened fast and easily. You probably didn’t even use your hands to get up.
Flash forward to today. You are likely a little bit older :) And maybe getting up off the floor is more of a task now. It might just be that you give a small, audible grunt upon standing (mandatory above the age of ~30?). Maybe you have joint pain when you get up. OR maybe you are avoiding getting onto the ground because you aren’t sure if you can get back up on your own.
At Outshine, we believe strongly in being able to get down onto the ground AND back up on your own. This is a skill we work on with many people and work into our small group personal training. Here are our top 3 reasons that being able to get up off of the ground is so important.
Range of Motion
Getting up and down up off the floor requires a significant amount of range of motion in our joints to make that movement possible, a range of motion we don’t usually challenge with daily tasks. Think about what your typical day looks like. For most people, the positions they are in are lying down, sitting in chairs/cars, or standing/walking. The range of motion needed in your hips, knees, and ankles for these movements is very minimal. Our body is designed to be able to move through full ranges of motion. This includes deep squats, being in a long lunge, sitting on the ground criss-cross, and many other positions. As we age, we naturally start to stiffen and lose mobility. We desperately need to be exposing our joints and soft tissues to these different end ranges of motion.
Recommendation: Spend time sitting on the ground every day, even if it’s just for 2-5 minutes. Not only does it force you to practice getting down AND back up off the floor once a day, but it helps you improve your mobility. Some positions you should try sitting in are:
-Criss-cross
-Long sitting or “L” sitting with your back supported against a couch/wall if needed (try both legs straight out in front AND one knee bent/one leg straight)
-Hip 90/90 sit with both knees bent 90 degrees, one leg is in front of you and the other behind you
-Kneeling (both knees bent, sitting on heels)
-Half kneeling (one knee on the ground, the other foot up in front of you)
-Tall kneeling (both knees on the ground, hips up so you are in a straight, vertical line from shoulders to knees)
-Lying on your stomach, propped up on forearms
Be creative. Be playful. Listen to your body. When it tells you it’s ready to move, then move on to another position.
Falling
Falling is a huge problem for older adults. It often leads to broken bones, hospitalizations, emergency surgeries, and can ultimately lead to a loss of independence or even worse death. The best solution is to prevent frailty, bone density issues, and balance struggles by starting strength training as early in life as possible. But that’s not always possible. Even if we can’t fully prevent falls, physical therapy can help older adults learn how to fall safely and how to get up off the floor in case a fall happens.
While most folks reading this aren’t older adults, I think it’s important to think about what we want our last decade of life to look like. I don’t want to be living with a constant fear of falling, frailty, social isolation, and an overall loss of independence. I want to be confident in my body, a strong and competent mover, social and able to leave my home, and preserve my independence as much as possible. A part of that is making sure you can get up off the ground throughout your life span.
Mortality
Mortality rate is also known as death rate. There are a few movements research has found that can help us predict our mortality (meaning how soon or NOT soon we may die). I know…this all sounds very doom and gloom. But listen up if you’re interested in improving your longevity and quality of life.
A 2014 study tracked 2002 adults aged 51-81 of which 68% were men. They had each person perform a sitting-rising test which was scored from 0-5. A 5 is standing up from the ground without the hands or knees touching the ground. A point is deducted for each additional part of your body that touches the ground for assistance. This test is a quick glimpse of someone’s musculoskeletal fitness as it tests mobility AND strength.
Thanks Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo, creator of SR test, and the great graphic found here.
A 6 year follow up showed that lower sitting-rising test scores (folks who needed more upper body support to stand) were associated with higher mortality.
So give the sitting-rising test a try and score yourself using the image above. Can you get up off the floor? If you struggle, then create a set-up that allows you to complete it with minimal help. This might mean getting up next to a piece of furniture that you can push off of to stand. Or perform on carpet or put down a pillow if kneeling is painful for you. Practicing at least 1 time a day consistently will help you build the strength, mobility, and confidence necessary. Don’t let go of your ability to get up off the ground.
At Outshine Physical Therapy and Fitness in Asheville, NC our goal is to help the folks we work with achieve their goals. We have patients who are focused on improving their performance for an event (ex. power lifting or strongman competition, marathon, spartan race, etc.). But many times, our patient’s goals are about living longer and feeling stronger. We love that! Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or to set up your free intake call so we can see if we are a good fit to work together. We would love to help you crush your goals.
As always, I hope this was helpful.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sieara
Book your FREE consult call here!
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