Ask anyone who knows me well, and they’ll tell you (with glee) that my balance is rubbish. While I can happily stand on one leg and I always – albeit with limited success - do calf raises while brushing my teeth (surely multitasking at its finest?), add an element of wobble into the equation and I’m like a baby giraffe, limbs all over the place.
But as a Health and fitness writer, I’m also well aware of how vital balance and stability are. Not only does it reduce our risk of injury by helping to prevent falls (not to mention improving our chances of saving ourselves from toppling in the first place), but good balance is also associated with longevity. Research published in the British Medical Journal shows that the ability to balance on one leg for ten seconds is a strong predictor of overall mortality – with those unable to do so at almost double the risk of all-cause mortality within 10 years.
