FRIDAY, Oct. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There’s a simple test available to older adults who want to quickly check how well they’re aging: See how long you can stand on one leg.

People over 50 who can stand on one leg for 30 seconds age gracefully, especially if it’s not their strong leg, according to a new study.

This test worked better than handgrip, knee strength and gait tests in assessing healthy aging, researchers reported Oct. 23 in the journal. PLOS One.

“Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscular strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system and somatosensory systems,” said principal investigator Kenton Kaufman, director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory. at the Mayo Clinic.

“The balance changes are remarkable,” Kaufman added in a Mayo Clinic press release. “If you have poor balance, you are at risk of falling whether you move or not. Falls are a serious health risk and have serious consequences.”

For this study, researchers asked 40 healthy, independent people over the age of 50 to participate in a series of movement tests. Half of the participants were under 65 years old and the other half were 65 years old or older.

The balance test required participants to balance on one leg, for 30 seconds for each leg. They could hold the leg they weren’t standing on, if they wanted, and keep their eyes open.

Participants also stood with their eyes open and closed.

Standing on the non-dominant leg resulted in the highest rate of decline with age among older adults, the researchers found.

Handgrip and knee strength tests also showed significant declines as people aged, but did not reflect aging as much as balance.

Kaufman said people can take steps to improve their balance, simply by practicing standing on one leg and focusing on the muscle movements needed to maintain the pose.

Unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury among people aged 65 and older, and most falls result from loss of balance.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it. If you use it, you keep it,” Kaufman said. “It’s easy to do. It doesn’t require any special equipment and you can do it every day.”

More information

The National Institute on Aging is learning more about older adults and balance issues.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, press release, October 23, 2024