As a rule of thumb, I’ve always thought three simple physical tests can forecast longevity – the ability to rise from a chair without using your arms, to take eight steps in six seconds, and to be able to balance on one leg for 10 seconds.
Well, an international team of researchers, led by the Clinimex exercise medicine clinic in Rio de Janeiro and including Bristol Medical School are proposing the balance test be included in routine health checks for older adults.
They’ve proven the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life is linked to a near doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years.
