- Good balance, strength, and a sturdy gait keep us mobile and independent as we age.
- How long you can balance on one leg could reflect your health, according to a new study.
How long a person can stand on one leg could reflect how well they're aging, according to a study.
It comes at a time when advanced diagnostic tests to gauge "biological age" are becoming popular among the wealthy and health-conscious.
Good balance, muscle strength, and an efficient gait or walking pattern all help us stay mobile and independent as we age, according to the authors based at Mayo Clinic. Looking at how these factors change over time, and how quickly, can help clinicians develop better programs for healthy aging, they said in the study published Wednesday in PLOS ONE.
On an individual level, measuring these things can make a person of certain weaknesses, which they can then take steps to improve, they said.
Here's how to do the test and two other easy ways to determine whether you're aging healthily.
1) Balance test
Many body systems, including the muscles, bones, joints, eyes, nerves, and inner ear, help us balance.
Our ability to balance declines faster than both strength and gait, according to the study, and once it does, the risk of falling rises.
"If you have poor balance, you're at risk of falling, whether or not you're moving. Falls are a severe health risk with serious consequence," senior author Kenton Kaufman, said.
More than one in four people over 65 fall each year, according to the National Institute on Aging. If a person breaks their bones, this can lead to other serious health problems and can cause long-term disability.
In a 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on 1,702 adults aged between 51 and 75, being unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds was linked to a higher risk of dying from any cause within seven years.
On average, the Mayo Clinic study's 40 participants, who were aged between 52 and 83, could stand on their nondominant leg for 17 seconds. The average for those over 65 was 11 seconds.
"If you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, you are doing well," Kaufman said. "People can easily take steps to train their balance, for example, by practicing standing on one leg."
2) Five-second walking test
Many doctors at longevity clinics swear by a simple five-second walk test to gauge a patient's fitness and longevity.
"It tells me how well people are functioning, how well their muscles are moving and working together," Dr. Sara Bonnes, medical director of the Healthy Longevity Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, previously told Business Insider.
To do the test, have someone time how long it takes you to walk a six-meter stretch on a flat surface as quickly as you can.
For adults over 75, finishing in under six seconds is considered good, while a time slower than 8.6 seconds suggests a person may be at risk for falls or hospital admissions, according to one 2005 study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences.
3) 30-second sitting-to-standing test
What's known as the 30-second chair stand assessment is a good indicator of strength, balance, and flexibility, Jennifer Tripkin, associate director for the Center of Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging, told Fortune.
It's typically used on older adults to test leg strength and endurance, but there's some evidence that it's also useful for measuring athletic performance in younger adults.
The test involves going from a seated position on an armless chair to a standing position without using your arms as many times as you can within 30 seconds.
In a 2012 study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, participants who got a low score on the test were five to six times more likely to die over a six-year period than those with a better score.
How to do the chair test:
1. Sit in the middle of an armless chair.
2. Place your hands on the opposite shoulder, crossed at the wrists.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
4. Keep your back straight, and keep your arms against your chest.
5. On "Go," rise to a full standing position, then sit back down again.
6. Repeat this for 30 seconds.
According to the CDC, for women aged 60 to 64, a below-average score is 12, and for men, it's 14. For women aged 65 to 69, below average is 12, and for men it's 12.