# You're sitting on the floor. Can you get up without using your hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637 "2014-11-04T16:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/41 "2014-11-04T23:39:44Z")
I vaguely recall reading that\* not\* being able to do this is a pretty good predictor of death in the next few years. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/42 "2014-11-04T23:53:06Z")
I can, but it’s difficult. Or it is at least going by the article I read a few months in reader’s digest - you’re not supposed to use your knee(s) for leverage _either_, not just your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/43 "2014-11-05T00:03:46Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I can, but it’s difficult. Or it is at least going by the article I read a few months in reader’s digest - you’re not supposed to use your knee(s) for leverage _either_, not just your hands. Well then, I’m out again. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/44 "2014-11-05T00:05:32Z")
cross legged up can do. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/45 "2014-11-05T00:24:27Z")
I voted for easily, but I’m doing it by putting one knee on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/46 "2014-11-05T00:31:16Z")
I did it easily, but I did carefully choose an area covered by a rug to protect my boney old ankles and knees from bruising on the hardwood floor. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/47 "2014-11-05T00:40:45Z")
For anyone else who couldn’t picture it - take a look at this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7g4k0nE8sdI/maxresdefault.jpg "Sitting down and getting up without using hands or knees.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g4k0nE8sdI) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/48 "2014-11-05T00:44:22Z")
Nope. Then again, I’m pretty useless without my hands. I can swear, without my hands. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/49 "2014-11-05T01:16:29Z")
Depends. Is there a crane available? Just kidding. I can do it but my answer is truly between “easily” and “yes, but it’s a struggle.” It’s not easy, but it sure isn’t graceful. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/50 "2014-11-05T01:29:55Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Unless one has a physical ailment of some sort, I’m not sure what can possibly be hard about it. It gets harder as I get older. I could do this without a problem when I was 30. At 61, it’s a lot more difficult. At 59 and 30kg heavier, it was impossible. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/51 "2014-11-05T01:38:19Z")
I do it a bazillion times a day dealing with baby. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/52 "2014-11-05T01:50:35Z")
Easy via the “swing your legs round” method, impossible via the “straight up” method. I think the latter is a flexibility thing. All those people who can do the straight up method I’m curious: a) Do you feel like it’s simply a matter of leg strength, or is there an overbalancing factor too? Do you feel like you could hover in the “butt just off the floor” position before straightening your legs out? Because I definitely can’t. I simply can’t angle my knees any further forward than about my ankle, and my centre of gravity is at least three or four inches behind my heels. b) Can you squat flat-footed? There seems to be a genetic thing to this - my mum and brother can do it easily, me and my dad can’t (again, fall straight over backwards). I think this is all associated with the lack of ankle flexibility that prevents me standing straight up in this task. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/53 "2014-11-05T02:31:47Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > a) Do you feel like it’s simply a matter of leg strength, or is there an overbalancing factor too? Do you feel like you could hover in the “butt just off the floor” position before straightening your legs out? It requires about the same amount of strength as walking up a couple of stairs–basically none. Hovering is a little awkward because of the position of the legs (when coming up from a cross-legged sit), but it is certainly doable. > [@Aspidistra](#): > > b) Can you squat flat-footed? Yes, but when standing from a cross-legged position, my feet are not flat-footed; I am using the sides of my feet. It is different than coming up from a squat. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/54 "2014-11-05T03:40:14Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Yes, but when standing from a cross-legged position, my feet are not flat-footed; I am using the sides of my feet. It is different than coming up from a squat. This is true, but in both cases I feel that the more flexible your ankle joint is the better you’ll do at the task, because it lets you balance your weight out the right way. All this talk about weight gave me an idea - I just tried the stand-up direct method holding out a 6kg bag of rice in front of me. Suddenly it’s quite straightforward. It’s all about centre of gravity - at least for me ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/55 "2014-11-05T05:14:46Z")
Just tried it. Easy peasy, which actually surprised the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/56 "2014-11-05T07:03:42Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I don’t see how. I would need to levitate. I had no clue if I could, and just tried (I happened to be sat on the floor), then reading your question I did it again to see how I did it. Starting cross legged, I projected my upper body and arms forward and the rest followed. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/57 "2014-11-05T07:13:38Z")
I used to and probably still can but I’ve been having lower back problems these past couple of years, so I’m not even going to try. It’s worth the risk throwing my back out again. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/58 "2014-11-05T07:14:34Z")
By, the way, I didn’t think of how to do it the first time, it just came naturally. So maybe the difference is betwen people whose body for some reason “knows” how to stand up from a sitting position, and people who need to think about it and try random useless methods. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637/59 "2014-11-05T07:56:14Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > By, the way, I didn’t think of how to do it the first time, it just came naturally. So maybe the difference is betwen people whose body for some reason “knows” how to stand up from a sitting position, and people who need to think about it and try random useless methods. My inspiration for doing it was watching those horribly dubbed Kung Fu movies I used to watch as a kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-without-using-your-hands/703637.md?page=2)