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According to a new study, how long one stands on one leg, especially the non-dominant one, is a clear indicator of age-related decline. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that the ability to balance on one leg declines more quickly with age than walking gait, grip, and knee strength assessments
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Balance is the key to a longer life!
According to a new study, how long one stands on one leg, especially the non-dominant one, is a clear indicator of age-related decline.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that the ability to balance on one leg declines more quickly with age than walking gait, grip, and knee strength assessments.
Let’s take a closer look.
The study
The cross-sectional study, which was published on Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, examined participants who ranged in age from 52 to 83.
The study found that among 40 individuals, who were all in good health and free of neuromuscular problems, standing time on both dominant and nondominant legs declined considerably with age. This decline was greater than that of gait and muscle strength.
After adjusting for body size, the decline was 2.2 seconds per decade on the nondominant side and 1.7 seconds per decade on the dominant side for both men and women.
The ability to balance while maintaining a one-legged stance deteriorated at the highest rate, even though all the parameters decreased with age — the dominant grip strength decreased at a rate of 3.7 per cent and the knee strength decreased at a rate of 1.4 per cent every decade.
It’s all about balance
“Standing on one leg is a good measure of your overall health system because balance reflects how the body’s systems are working together,” said senior author Dr Kenton Kaufman, a research scientist and the W Hall Wendel Jr Musculoskeletal Research Professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“Good balance provides the ability to carry out activities of daily living without the fear of falling, and this leads to improved quality of life and healthy ageing,” CNN quoted him.
The one-legged test is “applicable to younger people in that, you know, you want to protect what you have,” Kaufman said, adding, “If you continue to train your balance system as you’re young, you should maintain that as you age.”
According to Kaufman, people who are unable to maintain their balance on one leg for longer than five seconds may be more likely to fall, which is why balance is crucial for preventing injuries.
In a different study published in the British Journal of SportsMedicine in June 2022, it was shown that the ability to balance is associated with a longer lifespan.
Those who are unable to stand on one leg without assistance for 10 seconds had an 84 per cent higher risk of dying from any cause.
According to Kaufman, a good guide is to be able to maintain the position for at least 30 seconds for people ages 69 and under, 20 seconds for people aged 70 to 79, and 10 seconds for people over 80.
The inability to do so indicates a medical condition
As per Kaufman, if a person is unable to stand on one leg for a longer period, it may indicate a medical condition, such as a heart condition or a problem with the brain or nerve system, such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or a stroke.
It might also indicate that a person is having adverse drug reactions.
He advises consulting a doctor if a person can not stand on one leg for longer than five seconds.
An active lifestyle
Dr. Anat Lubetzky, an associate professor of physical therapy at New York University, who was not involved in the study, told CNN that people of all ages should engage in physical activity and improve their strength and balance in order to achieve healthy ageing.
According to Jay Hertel, the chair of kinesiology at the University of Virginia, told The Washington Post falls can be dangerous, which is why a decline in balance in older persons is concerning.
“We want to have older individuals maintain and train their balance so that they’re more resistant to suffering falls,” he said.
Lubetzky suggests fitness or balance classes, like yoga, to help you become more balanced. These classes often aim for 30 to 60 seconds of balance on each leg.
With inputs from agencies