How long can you stand on 1 leg? What it says about your health — and how to improve your balance.
Standing on one leg seems like a simple enough task. But — as anyone who has wobbled their way through it or crashed out in a yoga class while attempting a tree pose can tell you — it can be trickier than it seems. It can also get harder with age. In fact, a growing body of research finds that your ability to stand on one leg, and how long you can do so, may be a marker of healthy aging.
“Standing on one leg is one of the indicators of good balance,” Nancy R. Kirsch, vice chair of rehabilitation and movement sciences at Rutgers University, tells Yahoo Life. “Poor balance is an indicator of underlying conditions that are risks to health.”
Here's why it's important to be able to keep your balance while standing on one leg — and what it might mean for your health if you can't do it. But don't worry: Just because you're teetering over now doesn't mean you can't improve your balance and coordination. Read on for simple exercises to strengthen that skill and help you embrace your inner flamingo.
What standing on 1 leg says about your health
In a new study just released in PLOS One, researchers recruited healthy adults over age 50 and asked them to perform a series of exercises, including those designed to measure grip strength, knee strength and balance. For the balance exercises, participants were asked to: stand on both legs with their eyes open, stand on both legs with their eyes closed and then do a single-leg stand on each leg with their eyes open. Each exercise lasted 30 seconds.
The researchers found that there was a “significant decline with age” in the ability to stand on one leg for a longer period. As a result, the researchers concluded that the ability to stand on one leg “can serve as a reliable and gender-independent measure of neuromuscular aging” in men and women.
This isn’t the first study to link your ability to balance on one leg with healthy aging: Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last year found that people who aren’t able to stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds are twice as likely to die within the next decade as their better-balanced peers.
Why is standing on 1 leg linked to longevity?
It all comes down to balance, Kenton R. Kaufman, a neuromuscular researcher at the Mayo Clinic and co-author of the latest one-legged study, tells Yahoo Life. “Balance reflects on how the body’s systems are working,” he says. “Good balance provides the ability to carry out activities of daily living without fear of falling. If you can do your activities of daily living, then you have a good quality of life and you’re aging in a healthy way.”
You can’t sit, stand, walk or get into and out of a chair without the ability to balance, Dr. John Vasudevan, an associate professor of clinical physical medicine and rehabilitation at Penn Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. “We unfortunately lose some of that over time,” he says. That comes from the natural loss of muscle mass, as well as power from the nervous system and coordination and execution from the brain, Vasudevan explains. “We start life with more than what we need, and the goal is to maintain what we have,” he adds.
Other markers can also indicate healthy aging:
Grip strength: “Grip strength is a simple yet objective measure of muscle strength,” Kirsch says. “Strength declines as we age due to sarcopenia, which is age-related muscle loss.” Good grip strength is linked with better muscle mass and all-over physical function, while poor grip strength can be a marker of central nervous system dysfunction, Kirsch says.
Walking speed: This is a “really good marker of aging,” Kaufman says. “Even 1/10 of a meter per second decrease in walking speed is equal to loss of an activity of daily living,” he says.
Time to get out of a chair: This requires “overall strength and coordination,” Kaufman says. Kirsch agrees. “Balance is also required to rise from a chair, and slower rise times are associated with increased risk of falls," she says.
How to improve your balance
While you could just practice standing on one leg to see where that gets you, it’s usually better for healthy aging to focus on your fitness as a whole, Vasudevan says. “We need cardio, strengthening and agility,” he says. “You want to find exercises to hit all of those.”
But if balance is your main concern, Kirsch suggests trying these exercises to strengthen your core and legs, and to improve your coordination. “Perform exercises near a sturdy object, like a chair or wall, for support, especially when starting,” she says. You can start slow and increase the challenge as your balance improves. (Kirsch recommends doing exercises three to four times a week, if possible):
Single-Leg Stand: Stand on one leg while keeping your other leg lifted slightly off the ground. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds, then switch legs. For an extra challenge, you can try this with your eyes closed and/or standing on a cushion.
Tandem Walking: Walk heel-to-toe in a straight line, similar to walking on a tightrope. Focus on maintaining balance while keeping your arms outstretched if needed.
Hip Abductions: Stand near a chair for support. Lift one leg out to the side while keeping it straight. Hold for a few seconds and slowly lower back down. Repeat, then switch sides.
Heel-to-Toe Rocking: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto your toes and lift your heels off the ground, then slowly rock back onto your heels and lift your toes.
Standing March: Stand tall and march in place, lifting your knees as high as possible while keeping your torso straight.
Tai Chi: Perform slow, flowing movements that engage your whole body, such as tai chi forms. Here's how to get started — and why the practice has several health benefits.
Clock Reach: Imagine you are standing in the center of a clock face. Stand on one leg and reach your opposite hand to "3 o'clock," "6 o'clock" and "9 o'clock" positions while maintaining balance. Switch sides and repeat.
Balance Board: Use a balance board or Bosu ball to challenge your stability. Try to balance while performing exercises like squats, but just standing is OK too.
How long should you be aiming for?
As for balancing on one leg, Kirsch says that 10 seconds “is considered to be the minimum time to balance on one leg.” But she says it’s also a good idea to aim for these time frames based on your age:
Under 40 years: around 45 seconds
Ages 40-49: around 40 seconds
Ages 50-59: around 37 seconds
Ages 60-69: around 28 seconds
Ages 70-79: around 14 to 20 seconds
Ages 80 and older: around 6 to 10 seconds
???? A guide to challenging your body as you age
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