The speed at which a person walks and their muscle strength may indicate how well they are aging. However, researchers now say there's an even simpler and more effective test for assessing aging: standing on one leg.
According to the latest study published in the journal PLOS ONE, balance is a better measure of biological aging than muscle strength or gait.
In the study, researchers tested 40 healthy individuals aged over 50 to assess various aspects of aging. The participants were divided into two equal groups: those under 65 and those 65 and older.
Participants took walking, balance, grip strength, and knee strength tests. For the balance assessments, they stood on force plates under different conditions: with both feet on the ground and their eyes open or closed, and on one leg (dominant and non-dominant) with their eyes open. During each balance test that lasted 30 seconds, the participants were allowed to position the lifted leg as they wished.
The researchers noted that out of all the tests, the balance test, especially tested with the nondominant leg showed the highest rate of decline with age.
There were no age-related declines in strength tests that were specific to sex, indicating that participants' grip and knee strength declined at a similar rate regardless of gender. Also, the gait and balance test showed no significant difference in the sexes.
"Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system and the somatosensory systems. Changes in balance are noteworthy. If you have poor balance, you're at risk of falling, whether or not you're moving. Falls are a severe health risk with serious consequences," explained Kenton Kaufman, senior author of the study in a news release.
The good news is that even for the elderly, balance is something that can be improved with constant practice. "If you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, you are doing well. If you don't use it, you lose it. If you use it, you maintain it. It's easy to do. It doesn't require special equipment, and you can do it every day," Kaufman said.
