Laura: A study of over 2,000 older adults found a simple physical test could predict their risk of dying in the next six years. It has nothing to do with running a marathon or lifting weights. It’s about how well you can get up off the floor. Sophia: Whoa, that is both terrifying and fascinating. Where on earth does that come from? That sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, not a medical journal. Laura: It's a central piece of the book we're diving into today: Built to Move by Kelly and Juliet Starrett. And what makes their perspective so compelling is their background. He's a doctor of physical therapy who has worked with elite military forces and pro athletes, and she's a former whitewater rafting world champion and CEO. Sophia: A physical therapist and a world-champion athlete… that's a powerhouse duo. Laura: It is. And they literally met competing on a treacherous river in Chile, which, believe it or not, perfectly sets up their whole philosophy on health. Sophia: Okay, I'm intrigued. How does a dangerous rafting competition connect to the simple act of getting off the floor? Laura: Because that story is the key to understanding their entire approach. It’s the perfect metaphor for what most of us are doing wrong with our bodies every single day.

Laura: So, picture this: it's the year 2000, World Rafting Championships in Chile. Kelly and Juliet are there with the U.S. teams, but they haven't met yet. The men's team, known for being a bit reckless, decides to run a notoriously dangerous section of the river called the Mundaca rapids without scouting it first. Sophia: Oh, I can see where this is going. Famous last words: "We don't need to prepare." Laura: Exactly. Within seconds, their raft flips. Kelly is thrown into the turbulent water, his life jacket isn't tight enough, and he's in serious trouble. Meanwhile, the women's team, Juliet's team, had prudently scouted the rapids. They were prepared. They saw the accident and were in a position to rescue him. Sophia: Wow. So he was literally saved by the team that did their homework. Laura: Precisely. And the Starretts use this as the central metaphor for the book. They argue that most of us treat our bodies like the men's rafting team. We jump into intense exercise—a half-marathon, a heavy lifting class—without mastering the basics of movement. We skip the scouting. Sophia: And then we wonder why we get injured. That hits a little too close to home. I sign up for a new fitness challenge, and a week later my knee is screaming at me. So what's the 'basic' we're all skipping? Is it just about stretching more? Laura: That's the core distinction they make. It’s not about stretching; it’s about mobility. They define mobility as the body's ability to move freely and effortlessly, which involves everything—joints, muscles, nerves, even your brain. They say, "Mobility primes the body for exercise... but more important, it primes the body for life." Sophia: I like that. It's a bigger idea. It's not just about getting ready for the gym; it's about getting ready for... well, everything. Laura: Yes, and they have this fantastic term for it: "rewilding the body." The idea is that our modern, chair-bound world has tamed our bodies, stripping away our natural movement patterns. Rewilding is about consciously reintroducing those patterns. Sophia: Rewilding. That sounds less like a chore and more like reclaiming something we've lost. But let's be real, the fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Why are so many of us still in pain? The book mentions some pretty stark statistics on this. Laura: They are stark. The book points out that in the U.S., 73% of adults are overweight, and 65 million people just reported an episode of back pain. The Starretts argue there's a massive disconnect. We're sold on high-intensity workouts and expensive gym memberships, but we're missing the simple, foundational maintenance that actually keeps us out of pain. We're buying the fancy raft but forgetting to tighten our life jackets.

Laura: And that brings us right back to that terrifying test from the beginning. It's the very first 'Vital Sign' in the book, and it's called: Getting Up and Down Off the Floor. Sophia: Right, the mortality predictor. Tell me everything. How does it work? I'm ready to be humbled. Laura: It’s called the Sit-and-Rise Test, and it’s brutally simple. You start standing. Then, you try to sit down into a cross-legged position on the floor without using your hands, knees, forearms, or the side of your leg for support. Sophia: Okay, I’m mentally trying this right now. It’s not looking good. Laura: Then, from that seated position, you try to stand back up, again, without any of those supports. You start with a perfect score of 10—five points for sitting, five for standing. For every support you use, you subtract a point. Sophia: And this is what the Brazilian study looked at? Laura: Yes. Researchers followed over 2,000 adults, aged 51 to 80, for more than six years. They found that people who scored low on this test—below 8—had a significantly higher risk of death during the study period. Those who scored in the 0-3 range were more than five times more likely to die than those who scored 8-10. Sophia: That is absolutely wild. It's not about cardiovascular fitness or brute strength. It's about... what is it about? Suppleness? Control? Balance? Laura: All of the above. The book calls it a reflection of your body's stability, suppleness, and efficiency. And it connects directly to why so many of us would fail this test, even those of us who consider ourselves 'fit.' They tell this great story about an event they held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Sophia: A pretty athletic crowd, I'd imagine. Laura: Exactly. They cleared all the chairs out of the lecture hall and asked this room full of fit, athletic people to just sit on the floor, cross-legged, for the presentation. And people struggled. They were fidgeting, uncomfortable, some even had to lie down. It was a perfect demonstration of how we've lost this basic, fundamental human ability. Toddlers get up and down from the floor an average of seventeen times an hour. We've engineered it out of our lives.

Sophia: Okay, so we've established we're all basically stiff, fragile messes who can't get off the floor. What's the fix? I don't have time for a 90-minute yoga class every day, and I suspect most people listening don't either. Laura: And that is the absolute beauty of their approach. It's not about adding more 'exercise' to your already packed schedule. It's about integrating micro-doses of movement into the life you're already living. Their first prescription is shockingly simple: spend 30 cumulative minutes a day sitting on the floor. Sophia: Just... on the floor? So while I'm watching Netflix or answering emails, I should just be on the floor instead of the couch? Laura: Precisely. And they encourage you to fidget! Change positions—go from cross-legged to sitting with your legs out in a V, to kneeling. They argue this is how you 'rewild' your hip joints. They even point to data showing that people in China, where floor-sitting is more common, have 80 to 90 percent less arthritic hip pain than Westerners. Sophia: That is a tangible, easy-to-implement idea. It doesn't require a new membership or special equipment. It just requires... my floor. What's another one? Laura: Walking. But with a very specific, research-backed target. They say to aim for 8,000 steps a day. Sophia: Wait, not 10,000? I thought 10,000 was the magic number. Laura: That's a common misconception, and they debunk it. The 10,000-step goal was actually born from a 1965 marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer. It was a catchy slogan, not science. Modern research, like a major 2020 study, found that hitting 8,000 steps a day was associated with a 51 percent lower risk of death compared to taking 4,000. The benefits keep growing up to 12,000, but 8,000 is the sweet spot for a major impact. Sophia: I love that they're giving us permission to aim for something more achievable that's actually backed by science. It's about creating a movement-rich environment, not just 'working out' for an hour and then being sedentary for the other 23. Laura: You've just summarized their entire philosophy. It's about shifting the focus from isolated bouts of exercise to a continuous stream of natural, healthy movement throughout your day.

Laura: So when you pull it all together, the message of Built to Move is incredibly empowering. It reframes health away from punishing workouts and toward gentle, consistent self-maintenance. Sophia: It really feels like giving your body back what it was designed for. We're not built to sit in an office chair for ten hours a day. The problem isn't that we're lazy; it's that our modern environment is actively working against our biology. The idea that you can start to counteract that with something as simple as floor-sitting and walking is... revolutionary in its simplicity. Laura: Exactly. And that's why the book has been so widely acclaimed. It's not written for elite athletes; it's written for everyone. It’s accessible. Some critics have said it might be too basic for people already deep into fitness, but I think that misses the point. Even the most elite athletes can neglect these fundamentals. Sophia: Right, like the rafting team. It’s a reminder for everyone. The ultimate goal isn't to have six-pack abs or run a 5-minute mile. It's to be that durable, 77-year-old man they describe in the book who can shovel snow in the morning and then spend the rest of the day sledding with his grandkids. Laura: That's the real prize. To prime your body not just for exercise, but for a long, vibrant, and engaged life. Sophia: A perfect takeaway. So the challenge for all of us listening is simple. Tonight, instead of sinking into the couch, try sitting on the floor for a bit. See how it feels. And maybe check your step count from today. It’s a small change that, according to the science, could have a huge impact. Laura: We'd love to hear how you all do on that Sit-and-Rise test. Be honest! Let us know your score and what you discovered. This is Aibrary, signing off.