Having a "leg to stand on" may very well be a good indicator of our health as we age. Study results were recently published that revealed that changes in balance that occur as we age provide a clearer picture of aging than changes in strength or gait.
The cross-sectional study included 20 men and 20 women. Half of those in the study were an average age of 74 while the other half had an average age of 56. Four tests were conducted among the 40 participants. The tests included balance, grip strength, knee strength and gait. The balance test involved the participants standing on plates that measured balance in four different settings: on both feet with eyes open, eyes closed and on the dominant and nondominat leg with eyes open.
What the Mayo Clinic researchers discovered was that standing on one leg, most notably the nondominant leg, showed the most significant rate of decline with age. Balancing requires all of our body systems to work together so good balance is a great indicator of rate of decline.
With aging, falls are a major health risk and almost 3 million emergency room visits are documented each year for senior citizens with close to one million of those falls resulting in hospitalizations.
Thankfully, balance is something we can work on and it can be done in the comfort of our homes. Be sure to have a chair or wall close at hand to steady yourself and catch yourself if you start to fall. Standing on one leg for 30 seconds is optimal while anything less than five seconds is concerning. Standing on one leg trains your body to coordinate muscle and vestibular responses to keep the correct balance.
