Stand like a flamingo
A new study finds that the ability to balance is related to living a longer life. People who can’t stand on one leg for 10 seconds are nearly twice as likely to die within a decade.
Astrong sense of balance can predict how long and healthy your life will be. So, take off your shoes, place your hands on your hips, and balance for as long as you can on one leg. Researchers believe that being able to stand on one leg “flamingo style” for 10 seconds is a good predictor of future health.
A new study claims that being unable to stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds will lead to death within the next decade. Improving your balance will help you become a more stable and active elder, as well as improve your performance in a variety of sports.
“Balancing on one leg is important for everyone, but especially for the elderly, for two reasons. First, better balance means a lower risk of falling. Fall-related fractures are a major cause of disability in the elderly. Second, our ability to balance is linked to our cognitive health. The inability to balance on one leg for even 20 seconds has been linked to advanced dementia and an increased risk of stroke,” says Namita Piparaiya, yoga and ayurveda lifestyle specialist, founder — Yoganama.
The most recent evidence is so compelling that experts are debating whether such tests should be included in health screenings.
Balance problems are a wellknown complication of underlying medical conditions such as inner ear infections, hearing loss, Parkinson’s disease,
Alzheimer’s, and stroke. However, as recent evidence suggests, it may be foreshad. ow things to come too.
“Balancing can also reveal muscular imbalances or a lack of activity in the lower limbs, which can and should be addressed as soon as possiis ble. The good news is that with practice, balance improves. It appears to be a two-way street. In other words, balance training can help you improve your cogni tive abilities. Regular balance exercises will assist you in gaining control of your body. Yoga, in particu lar, is extremely beneficial in improving balance because it helps orient the body in a variety of posi tions and includes numerous single leg balance poses,” says Namita.
How well a per son can balance can provide an insight into their health, says Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, fitness and nutritional scientist, Co. Founder- Food Darzee
“We can improve our physi cal fitness and reduce the risk of a fatal fall by practising a simple but challenging exer cise. Maintaining an upright position on one leg is not easy because our base of support is very small in proportion to our height and width. Older people are more likely to wob ble on one leg. This is due to a variety of factors, including neurological disease, spatial and orthopaedic issues, and a sedentary lifestyle,” says Dr Siddhant.
BALANCE ISSUES ARE A COMMON SIDE EFFECT OF UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS INNER EAR INFECTIONS, HEARING LOSS, PARKINSON’S DISEASE, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND STROKE.