Simple 10-second test reveals how long you’ll live for – and the easy way to improve your odds
PEOPLE who can’t stand on one leg for 10 seconds are more likely to die within the next decade than their peers, a study suggests.
Researchers asked participants to carry out the simple task, which involved tucking one leg behind them and having their arms by their sides.
Those who couldn’t hold the position for at least 10 seconds were 84 per cent more likely to pass away during the study compared to those who could.
Scientists suggested that struggling to balance could be a sign of muscle loss, leaving older people at increased risk of falls.
An estimated 684,00 people die from falls every year worldwide, with many others suffering complications which eventually result in death.
Study author Dr Claudio Gil Araujo, from CLINIMEX in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said: “Our study indicates that the inability to complete a 10-second one-legged stance (OLS) in middle-aged and older participants is related to a higher risk of all-cause mortality and, consequently, to a shorter life expectancy.”
He and his team studied 1,702 men and women aged 51 to 75.
Of these, 348 could not successfully stand on one leg for 10 seconds – mostly the over-70s and those who were overweight or had diabetes.
Researchers then tracked each person for an average of seven years between 2008 and 2020.
In total, 123 people died, with 4.6 per cent of deaths among the group that could balance, and 17.5 per cent that could not.
Even when accounting for age, sex, BMI, obesity, and other health conditions, mortality was still far higher in the second cohort.
Heart disease and cancer were the most common causes of death, followed by respiratory problems and Covid.
Dr Araujo said: “Ageing is associated with a progressive decline in physical fitness and reductions or impairments in components of aerobic and non-aerobic fitness, including muscle strength, power, flexibility, balance and body composition.
“It is also well-established that the combination of sarcopenic obesity and loss of flexibility and balance are detrimental for overall health, placing older adults with frailty more prone to falls and other serious adverse medical [consequences].
“Indeed, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-based deaths worldwide.
“Unlike aerobic fitness, muscle strength and flexibility balance tends to be reasonably preserved until the sixth decade of life, when comparatively, it starts to diminish quickly.
“Nevertheless, balance assessment is not routinely incorporated in the clinical examination of middle-aged and older individuals.”
The authors hope the “remarkably safe” OLS test will be introduced as part of health check-ups, and to help predict a patient’s survival.
Dr Araujo, whose work was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2022, said: “While it is known that good levels of balance are relevant for many daily life activities, there is considerable evidence that loss of balance is also detrimental for health and that some exercise interventions may improve balance.”
It is not yet known exactly what influence balance training might have on your chances of an early death, but there are some expert-approved exercises you can try to reduce your odds:
- Step backwards 15 times on each leg
- Stand still with your eyes closed for 10 seconds
- Practice standing on one leg for as long as you can for a few minutes every day
- Go for a walk
- Try yoga – at home or in a studio
Victoria Anderson, clinical exercise physiologist and director of Longevity Health and Fitness, London, previously told Sun Health: “Improving somebody’s balance and reducing their risk of falls can reduce their risk of hospital admissions and major surgeries, such as hip replacements.
“Just start with what you can do. Even if it is only a few minutes’ practice a day, it will have more effect than doing nothing.
“People can see a difference in just a couple of weeks. Long-term adherence to exercise is obviously best.
“Once the easier exercises have become manageable and achievable, progress to the intermediate and advanced exercises.”
The 10-second one-legged stance (OLS) test
PARTICIPANTS were asked to stand on a flat platform for the test.
They then lifted their right or leg foot off the platform, and placed it behind the calf muscle of their other leg.
Everyone was instructed to keep their elbows straight, with their arms by their sides.
They also had to fix their gaze straight ahead at a two-metre distance.
Once the participant was in the correct position, a count of 10 seconds was started. Up to three attempts were allowed.
If the person completed the OLS on either foot, keeping the correct position without any additional support, they passed the test.
The test was carried out in front of a doctor or nurse to prevent injuries.