How Well Are You Aging? Try Standing on One Leg
Good balance can improve your body and brain and may even help predict how long you’ll live. Here’s how to test yourself.
Whether it happens on an icy sidewalk, a cobblestone street, or simply on your way to the refrigerator, taking a tumble is all too common. For adults 65 and older, it’s the leading cause of injuries and the impetus for more than three million emergency department visits each year.
And being younger hardly protects you. Among injuries affecting people of all ages, your chances of falling are second only to your chances of being hurt in an auto accident.
It’s common knowledge that falls can be dangerous. But what most people can’t know is their risk of taking an unexpected spill — that is, until now.
How long you can stand on one leg can help predict your risk of falls, according to a new study led by Kenton Kaufman, PhD, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Motion Analysis Laboratory. Published last month in the journal PLOS ONE, the study suggests that standing on one leg is a more reliable marker than the previous standard methods, which focus on grip strength, stability, and gait. How long you can balance on one leg may provide key insights into your vitality and lifespan.
