Can balancing on one leg predict how long you will live?

Have you come across the 10-second balance test on the Internet? It’s a trend raising awareness about the importance of mobility and coordination among aging adults. Failing to stand on one foot for at least ten seconds has been correlated with increased morbidity risks within the next decade.

According to a 2022 paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “Within the limitations of uncontrolled variables such as recent history of falls and physical activity, the ability to successfully complete the 10-s one-legged stands (OLS) is independently associated with all-cause mortality and adds relevant prognostic information beyond age, sex and several other anthropometric and clinical variables.”

Indianexpress.com spoke to Dr Murali Krishna, consultant neurologist at CARE Hospitals, Malakpet, Hyderabad, to understand how these one-legged balances can help lower death risks and keep older adults healthy and safe.

“With a lack of physical activity in our daily lives, the balance of the body tends to get more disturbed. This factor can not only predict the longevity of your life but is also an indicator of the health of your body. People who could balance themselves on one leg for more than ten seconds lived a longer life,” said Krishna.

According to her, the brain has to perform a huge level of coordination for a person to balance on one leg. “The brain coordinates multiple organs together to function, such as understanding the feedback from your muscles, signals sent by inner ears through fluid, and your eye movement. Signals sent from the eye are crucial to help in maintaining your balance on one leg,” she said.

Therefore, this exercise gets particularly difficult when you close your eyes for the same reason, she added.

The brain has to perform a huge level of coordination for a person to balance on one leg. (Source: Freepik)

Brain and body functions that are involved include –

Cerebellum – responsible for motor control and processing sensory signals
Motor cortex – helps maintain the posture
Basal Ganglia – regulates the movement
Vestibular system – part of the inner ear helps the brain understand the motion
Proprioceptive system – present in muscles aids the brain with information about body movements
Muscle activation – abdominal, calf, quadriceps, etc are involved in this pose
Reflexes – stretching or maintaining the posture

How can body balance be maintained as you age?

Krishna shared that the trick is to continue practising standing on one leg, even if you are wobbly. “With every practice, there is an opportunity to improve the brain capacity. The brain is capable of forming new nerve connections. It can learn to recalibrate coordination between different organs involved,” said the neurologist.

She also said that training your muscles to be more involved can improve balance and stability.

Exercises to partake in on a regular basis

Krishna suggested partaking in sports such as surfing and skateboarding that require balance, and recommended strength training exercises such as squats and leg presses or even exercising with stability balls.

She said that yoga poses are excellent choices for improving leg stability and Pilates can help with more balance in the body. “Tai Chi or dancing can also be recommended forms of exercise for balance.”

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