Balancing on one leg is a good test of health condition, and according to scientists, this test can predict whether a person will live another 10 years from now. If he doesn’t stay on one leg in the flamingo position for at least ten seconds, he’s in pretty good danger of dying within ten years. Balancing on one leg for more than forty seconds is, on the contrary, a sign of strength and mobility.
That’s how long people between the ages of eighteen and forty can normally balance. Conversely, people aged 70 to 79 should manage eighteen to nineteen seconds. The reason why standing on one leg is such an indicator of fitness is that it uses several different parts of the brain and body at once. It tests balance and strength at the same time – and these two things are lost the more fragile a person is, and therefore more prone to falls and fractures.
During the test, a person should try to stand on the dominant leg (right-handed people on the right, left-handed people on the left), keep the other one bent at the knee in the air so that the thigh is roughly horizontal with the ground and the heel is lowered to the ground. A person holds his hands to his sides. The time is measured from the moment the leg is raised and stops when the person drops it to the ground or stops holding it sideways.
“We know that people who struggle to maintain their balance for an expected amount of time are at a higher risk of deteriorating health as they age. By participating in the challenge, people can quickly and easily assess for themselves whether they are at risk. If so, there are many different activities they can engage in that can help improve their overall fitness.” said Dr. Selina Lim from the British public health NHS.
BALANCE TEST ON ONE LEG:
Age 18 to 39 years – 43 seconds
Age 40 to 49 years – 40 seconds
Age 50 to 59 years – 37 seconds
Age 60 to 69 years – 30 seconds
Age 70 to 79 years – 18 to 19 seconds
Age 80 years plus – five seconds or more
