You are twice as likely to die in the next decade if you currently cannot balance on one foot for 10 seconds, according to a new study.
Rather, the study suggests that their ability to balance on one foot points to a longer life expectancy.
The peer-reviewed study by Brazilian researchers, published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, determined that a person’s ability to balance can be preserved until the sixth decade of life, which means that it is a broader indicator of life expectancy in all age ranges than aerobic fitness, flexibility or strength muscular.
Dr. Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo, lead author of the study and a sports and exercise physician at the Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, said poor balance is linked to frailty in older adults and that fitness Musculoskeletal is a leading indicator of deteriorating health.
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“If you are under 70, you are expected to (like most that age) successfully complete the 10 seconds,” Araújo told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “For people over the age of 70, if they complete it, they will be in a better state of static equilibrium than their age peers… Advantages of the 10s OLS test include the fact that it is simple and provides fast results and safe. and objective feedback to the patient and healthcare providers regarding static balance.”
In addition to suggesting that regular doctor visits include a balance test, Araújo recommended that people try a 15-second balance test during their morning routine when brushing their teeth at home, to use as a barometer of their well-being.
Study researchers focused on 1,702 participants ages 51 to 75 for the study, with the median age set at 61 years. Their first checkup (study participants were tracked starting in 2008) collected data on their weight, waist size, and body measurements. fat. Only people who could walk steadily were included in their analysis. All participants were then asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds without holding on to anything for support. One in five failed the test. Each participant had three attempts to put the back of their other foot on the weight-bearing leg, which could be barefoot or wearing a suitable tennis shoe.
Participants’ inability to pass the balance test increased with age, while those with weight problems or diabetes were more likely to fail. The study’s completed research took into account age, gender, BMI, history of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. The final results determined that the risk of death within 10 years was 1.84 times higher in participants who did not pass the balance test compared to those who did.
The trial has its limits, Araújo noted: “This is an observational study and as such cannot establish cause. As the participants were all white Brazilians, the findings may not be more applicable to other ethnicities and nations, the researchers warn.” . .”