A simple test will assess your risk of dying in the next 10 years. 10 seconds is enough.

Stand on one leg and try to hold it for 10 seconds. For those who have failed, this is an important warning. Scientists have found that people who are unable to stand in such a position for those few seconds are more likely to die in the next 10 years. Importantly, this only applies to middle-aged and elderly people. The second important issue, the researchers argue, that such an attempt should be forced on us by doctors. But what does standing on one leg have to do with the risk of death?

1. People who cannot stand on one leg for 10 seconds are almost twice as likely to die in the next decade
2. The 10-second balance test was not passed by every fifth person (21%) participating in the research
3. Conclusions from the observation of scientists apply only to people from the middle age and above (51+)
4. Researchers suggest that the balancing test should be included in the routine health checks of older people
5. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Standing on one leg for 10 seconds and risk of dying in the following years

Middle-aged and elderly people who cannot balance for 10 seconds while standing on one leg die almost twice as often (from whatever cause) within 10 years than those who succeed. These conclusions were reached by a team of researchers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Finland and Brazil after 12 years of observation. Scientists have explored the link between equilibrium and mortality. The research was led by Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo from the Clinimex exercise medicine clinic in Rio de Janeiro. The results of their work have been published in the peer-reviewed medical journal British Journal of Sports Medicine.

It was no secret that the ability to maintain balance, or the lack of it, could provide insight into a person’s health. Previous research has shown that not being able to stand on one leg is associated with a higher risk of stroke. People with poor balance have also been found to perform worse on mental performance tests, suggesting a link to dementia.

However, the current finding is so striking that scientists even point out that the balancing test should be included in the routine health check of the elderly.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Every fifth person failed the balance test

In their work, the researchers used information on 1702 people aged 51 to 75 who had no problems with walking. At the start of the study, participants were asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds without any additional support. To standardize the test, subjects were instructed to rest the foot of their elevated leg on the back of their standing leg, keep their hands at their sides and look straight ahead. Three attempts were allowed on each limb. As it turned out?

Every fifth person (21%) failed the test. And the higher the age of the participants, the poorer the results were. In the group of people aged 51-55, 5% failed the test. Among people aged 56-60, it was already 8%, and in the case of 66-70-year-olds this percentage was almost 37%, and in the age group 71-75 it was already 54%.

Over the next decade, 123 study participants died of various causes. After adjusting for age, sex, and background conditions, it was estimated that the inability to stand without support on one leg for 10 seconds was associated with 84% of increased risk of death from any cause.

The balance test is quick information for the doctor and the patient

Researchers note the limitations of the study, including the fact that all participants were Brazilian white. This means that the results may not be broadly applicable to other ethnic or national groups.

Nevertheless, the researchers emphasize that the 10-second balance test “provides quick and objective static balance feedback to patients and healthcare professionals” and “provides useful information on the risk of mortality in middle-aged and elderly men and women”.

At present, the assessment of balance is usually not included in the health surveys of middle-aged and elderly people. The likely cause is the lack of a standardized test. To date, there has been little hard evidence linking balance to clinical outcomes other than falls. Will that change now?

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to self-compassion – a trend that has developed very strongly in the United States, but is still in its infancy in Poland. What is it and how does it affect our daily functioning? You will hear about this and many other issues related to self-compassion in the latest episode of our podcast.