The ability to balance is linked to an individual long life
Aging leads to a decline in physical fitness, muscle strength, and flexibility. Balance on the other hand tends to be reasonably well-preserved until a person’s 50s, when it starts to wane relatively rapidly. A proper balance is essential in life. While we age there should be a way to find out how much our body deteriorates. Do you know there is a way to find that? Stand on one leg for 10 seconds and it could enhance your life.
Stand on one leg for 10 sec for longevity
What did the study investigate?
People aged between 51 and 75 were asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, with one foot touching the calf of the other leg – a bit like a flamingo. Those who couldn’t do this had a higher rate of dying during the next seven years than those who completed it: 17.5 percent versus 4.6 percent. The study involved about 1700 people based in Brazil, most of whom were white.
Poor balance and longevity
The study participants had an average age of 61 and two-thirds of them were men. Around 1 in 5 failed to balance on one leg for 10 seconds at the initial checkup.
Researchers monitored the participants after the initial checkup for a period of seven years, during which 123 — 7% — of the people being studied died. The proportion of deaths among those who failed the test (17.5 %) was significantly higher than deaths among those who were able to balance for 10 seconds (4.5%).
Those unable to complete the balance test there was an 84% higher risk of death from any cause, and this link remained even when other factors — including age, sex, BMI, and preexisting conditions or health risks such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes — were taken into account.
Some Standing on One Leg Exercises
Here are some of the ways where you can stand on one leg for just 10 seconds.
- Static Balance
- Toe Touch
- Multiplane Balance
- Box Squat
- Dead Lift
Stand on one leg and reap the following benefits
- Reduced rate of ankle sprains
- Less chance of lower extremity injuries
- Improvement in biomechanics
- Great for building a stable foundation for strength and performance training
- Helps with loss of balance with the elderly (I know, it’s obvious, but a reminder helps)