A simple test could show how well your body is ageing, according to a new study. While it is impossible to predict how long we will live, and what we will look like as we get older, there are clues that indicate how healthy we could be as we age.
Avoiding certain risky health conditions, keeping up a regular exercise routine, and eating well are all factors that could stand you in good stead for the future.
But now scientists say that simply standing on one leg could show how fit we will be as we get older.
In fact the research, which was published in PLOS ONE, found that your ability to balance on a single leg could be the most reliable indicator of age-related decline.
Scientists said it outperformed traditional measures like grip strength, walking speed, or two-legged balance tests.
They believe this could be a potentially valuable tool for healthcare providers and individuals wanting to monitor their ageing process.
As part of the study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic and several other institutions carried out a movement analysis on 40 healthy adults.
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The participants were divided equally between those under and over 65 years-old.
They underwent various tests measuring their strength, balance, and walking patterns to understand how these abilities change as we age.
While walking patterns remained relatively stable across age groups, other measures showed significant age-related declines, Study Finds reports.
Following the testing, the team found that the length of time people were able to stand one-legged declined about 2.2 seconds per decade for the non-dominant leg and 1.7 seconds for the dominant leg.
The study authors noted: “This study underscores the significance of the unipedal balance test in monitoring elderly subjects in the community, regardless of sex. The duration an individual, whether male or female, can maintain balance on one leg emerges as the most reliable determinant of ageing, surpassing strength, gait, and other balance parameters.”
This is of particular importance as unlike many other ageing assessments, this does not require specialised equipment or medical expertise and can be carried out at home.
The study also showed that as we age we are not so adept at sustaining our balance.
Although all participants could stand normally on two legs for the required 30-second duration, older adults swayed more, especially when their eyes were closed – highlighting how vision plays a crucial role in maintaining balance as we age.
In the study, men and women were also found to display similar rates of decline in their balance as they got older.
