h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Probably the same as my 9 year old self. It has the handicap of carrying an old age pensioner on its back.

There's bitter irony in my memories of the Strength and Agility test" that they made me take in high school. I was good at jumping over the "horse," walking the parallel bars, and climbing the rope. My downfall was the long time it took me to get the basketball in the hoop. Nowadays, getting the basketball in the hoop is the only thing I *can* do.

Oh I was useless at PE & sport at school!

I've managed to improve my flexibility & general fitness lately, but I suspect there's a limit as to how much I can improve at my age. I think I did manage to get down & up without using hands or other parts - wasn't sure from the video if it matters what position/technique is used.
Still lousy at catching & throwing a ball though.

I only regret that the martial arts classes were always scheduled in conflict with the ballet and modern dance classes, so I couldn't take both simultaneously.

You mean there weren't any martial dance classes?

Capoeira comes close...

I'd personally guess that some sticky-in-the-mud, guns-or-butter type at the state level in school system just didn't feel right about anyone training in dance and martial arts simultaneously, felt oneshould be forced to make a choice.

Even though I got 'A's in ballroom dancing, actually I was training in archery and the only real dance I got in was the tandava after I completed my kundalini yoga course. (Tough subject. Attempt the exercises they'll be giving you at the end of the first 6 weeks without the prior training and those exercises will knock you unconscious.)

The only sports I enjoyed at school were badminton, which we didn't play that often, and swimming - I wasn't a strong swimmer but I enjoyed it.

I keep promising myself that I'll try yoga but I've never got round to it. Tai chi is something else I'd like to try. With my levels of health and fitness (or lack thereof), gentle exercise is probably the way to go.

On days like today, I feel so creaky that I can barely get up off the ground even *with* my hands.

Caught myself in the act getting up without using my hands without thinking about it twice today.

I did notice they marked even use of side of the foot as a lever. Perhaps we need springy joints to accomplish it easily.

My school was quite enlightened & allowed us non sporty 6th formers to do Keep Fit - sort of dance moves to music. I still do it today. I've tried Tai Chi & yoga, more strenuous than you might think.

Caught myself doing that again today.

I may try it someday, just not now. I still have aches and pains from the nine hours I spent cooped up on airplanes on the 20th.

Perhaps this could be an event in the H2G2 Olympics? Everyone time yourself getting up off the floor and post your times here. Fastest person over the next seven days wins a free drug test.

That could be embarrassing for those who discover that they aren't up to the task. The only alternative is to cheat and say we did it even though in reality we didn't.

Well, I haven't tried yet because it's too hot and I've just eaten my dinner. But I can imagine sort of rolling over forward and balancing on my elbows which would give me space to get my backside up, then knees, then feet (don't horses get up like that?). And then I'd probably fall backwards on my backside again. (they shoot horses, don't they?)

Alternatively I could get up from the floor if there was a table ledge or something to pull up on - or is that using one's hands?

Usually I just wait for my husband to come by and pull me up.

I'm with Incognitas - I think I should lose some weight!

The floor's not as bad as it's cracked up to be. Maybe I won't bother getting up off it.

I'm still not convinced that it's necessary to even try this. It sounds like a gimmick.

I can't do it because of the techniuqe I think... sitting on teh floor, is awkward, as my legs don't bend like 'that'... unless I sit cross legged, to then unfirl ones legs, I'm left unbalanced, sitting, as my back hasn't ever been able to sit straight, whilst I have my legs out in front of me... Actually, is there a position one is meant to sstart from? then its just as much a question of using ones hands, is the sensible way, as your less likely to unbalance... Loosing weight isn't all its cracked up to be... I've lost about five stone now over quite a number of years, mind, but I'm no more supple, or full of energy or any of that sort of stuff, just less heavy but I was never supple, so doubt I could ever be supple... Can exercise, or yoga type stuff, actually make one more supple, or just only get back to a supplness one once had/increase strength?

I'm not opposed to it per se. I just like to indulge in activities that have some usefulness. Swimming is a good thing to excel at if you fall out of a boat, or if you wish to cool off at the beach on a very hot day. Walking gets you from your car into the store and back, or gives you a sense of well-being when you walk through the park on a nice day.
if your doctor you *must* get X amount of exercise for the sake of your heart, then you are doing something that is good for your health. I can see reasons for all of the above. I can even see the value of painting and sanding motions when you're painting/sanding a fence or training to be a karate master [see"The Karate Kid"].

But if you're on the floor, why limit yourself as to the methods you might use for getting up? And why tie everything to an insufficiently researched measure of health? Aren't there already a lot of mainstream measures of that? There's so-called stress test that measures the health of your heart. I passed such a test with flying colors a few years ago. Why does there need to be some new gimmick every time I look around?