Take the balance challenge!

axisus

It can be an indicator of how long you might live!

This from BBC Science focus:

A common New Year’s resolution is to get fitter. Although people determinedly heave weights or run, they often forget the importance of working on their balance. Worldwide, falls are the most common cause of accidental death after road traffic accidents, and unless you do something about it, your balance will deteriorate as you get older. And having good balance is a powerful predictor of how long and how healthily you will live.

A good test of your balance is to see how long you can stand on one leg, first with your eyes open and then closed. Take your shoes off, put your hands on your hips and stand on one leg. See how long you last. The test is over as soon as you shift your planted foot or put your raised foot down on the ground. Best of three. Then repeat, with your eyes closed. You will be dismayed by how quickly you start to fall over. Here are the targets that different age groups should be able to manage:

• Under 40: 45 seconds with eyes open, 15 seconds with eyes closed.
• Aged 40-49: 42 seconds open, 13 seconds closed.
• Aged 50-59: 41 seconds open, 8 seconds closed.
• Aged 60-69: 32 seconds open, 4 seconds closed.
• Aged 70-79: 22 seconds open, 3 seconds closed.

How much does it matter? In a study published in the BMJ in 2014, researchers tested 2,760 men and women who, at that time of testing, were all 53 years old. They measured grip strength, how quickly they could stand upright from sitting and how long they could stand on one leg with their eyes closed.

When the researchers returned 13 years later, they found that the tests had all, independently, predicted the chance that someone would die over that period, but the one-legged standing test was the best. Those individuals who lasted less than two seconds were three times more likely to have died than those who held it for 10 seconds or more.

Why is this balance test so important? It’s because it is so taxing. Your brain normally uses three different types of information to keep you upright: your eyes, your vestibular system (a sort of spirit level you have in your inner ear), and proprioceptors in your limbs that send signals to your brain, telling it what is going on. When you remove your eyesight, the brain has to work much harder to keep you steady.

The good news is you can improve your balance with activities such as yoga or tai chi. I practise balancing on one leg while brushing my teeth. You can find other suggestions from the NHS's balance exercises. It really is worth taking the time to work at it.

------------------------------------------------

Well, I always say that I am much fitter than most people my age, so I did pretty well. I'm 60 years old, I stood on one foot for 3 minutes, then decided to give up at that point, I was waaay beyond what was expected for my age. I could go on minutes longer.

Eyes shut was much harder, but my best of 3 was 16 seconds, so once again a healthy improvement on the expected 4 seconds.

Sporky

I am 48, gave up on eyes open at two minutes. Eyes closed I managed 17 seconds. 

Kilgore

Aged 56. I managed one minute 6 seconds before falling over. There might be a bit of a wait for the ambulance. So thanks for that.



  

merlin

The test doesn't take into account a lot of other variables and is a bit over-simplified. 
How about people with trapped spinal nerves (like me) or with a history of arthritis etc etc etc. 

Scientific? Maybe. 

SteveRobinson

I've called an ambulance for me

Kittyfrisk

merlin said:

The test doesn't take into account a lot of other variables and is a bit over-simplified. 
How about people with trapped spinal nerves (like me) or with a history of arthritis etc etc etc. 

Scientific? Maybe. 

Yeah, surgery that affected my hearing & vestibular system and having arthritis, my balance is knackered (medical term).

guitars4you

I do this everyday 

1 min each leg eyes open 
15 sec each leg eyes closed 

axisus

merlin said:

The test doesn't take into account a lot of other variables and is a bit over-simplified. 
How about people with trapped spinal nerves (like me) or with a history of arthritis etc etc etc. 

Scientific? Maybe. 

Yes, it's a very over simplified, non-scientific test that doesn't necessarily mean a lot, however it may be enough to make some people think about their current state and try to improve things!

Sporky

I suspect that, like BMI and IQ, it is a useful quick assessment for the middle of its bell curve. 

bertie

what if you've got really really heavy  feet

crosstownvamp

Not far off 70:  100 seconds eyes open (till I got bored), 15 seconds closed

Will I live to 100?

bertie

and all the people that died wore yellow socks........so wearing yellow socks can lead to early death

I was shit at doing this even when I was a teen-ager,  I probably should've died when I was 26 3/4 ,  may be I will next week.  But it wont be on one leg I can tell you

Kilgore

Ian Anderson:

"Hold my beer."

digitalscream

Finally, something I'm good at.

Best with eyes closed was 37s, average 24s.

Not entirely sure where this skill might come in handy, but at least it means I'm going to live forever.

Musicwolf

Eyes open - got bored at 3 minutes.  Eyes shut - a couple of seconds.  I'm 60.

bertie

digitalscream said:

Finally, something I'm good at.

Best with eyes closed was 37s, average 24s.

Not entirely sure where this skill might come in handy, but at least it means I'm going to live forever.

well I died 35 years ago

Bellycaster

£0.00

I fear I don't have long left 

Pjon

It's just practice. If you do it regularly, you'll get better at it and if you do yoga, or something that involves standing on one foot then you'll be better at it than those of us who don't find it necessary to stand on one foot at all. Regardless of whatever quackery is being talked about this, we have two legs and feet for a reason - we don't need to balance on one leg.

Sporky

I'm not sure that "falling over is bad for you" is quackery. 

RaymondLin

I am just about to manage the target eyes closed....eyes open, I got bored.

breakstuff

One to check how supple you are is to sit on the floor with your legs crossed like you used to do in school assembly, and then stand up without putting your hands on the floor. Don't know how scientific it is, but you'll be surprised how many people can't do it.