Your balance may reveal your age

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A recent study published in PLOS One suggests that your ability to balance on one leg, like a flamingo, might reveal important aspects about your health and age. Researchers found that for individuals aged 50 and older, the time they could balance on one leg tended to decrease significantly with age. Since balance is essential for preventing injuries, those who struggle to maintain a one-legged stance for more than five seconds may be at a greater risk of falls. This simple test serves as a useful measure of overall health, highlighting how various body systems work in harmony to maintain stability.

Source

Rezaei, A., Bhat, S. G., Cheng, C. H., Pignolo, R. J., Lu, L., & Kaufman, K. R. (2024). Age-related changes in gait, balance, and strength parameters: A cross-sectional study. PloS one, 19(10), e0310764. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310764

Additional Reading

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/23/health/balance-one-leg-old-age-wellness/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/nov/02/can-you-stand-on-one-leg-for-10-seconds-why-balance-could-be-a-matter-of-life-and-death-and-how-to-improve-yours

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/35QytBYmkXJ4JnDYl9zYngb/why-you-should-stand-on-one-leg#:~:text=to%20keep%20wobbling.-,Every%20time%20you%20practise%20the%20one%20leg%20stance%2C%20it%20is,best%20to%20keep%20you%20upright.