Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist reveals what standing on one leg can say about your health

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

If you're over 50 and can stand on one leg for at least 30 seconds, you may be aging well, according to recent research published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Unipedal balance testing (standing on one leg) is a known measure of neuromuscular aging.

The study found that as we age, our balance tends to decline more quickly than our walking speed or muscle strength making it a very sensitive predictor of physical ageing.

In the study, 40 healthy individuals aged over 50 (20 aged under 65, 20 aged 65 and older) underwent tests for walking gait, balance, grip strength, and knee strength.

During the balance tests, participants stood on force plates for 30 seconds in different positions:

1. On both feet with eyes open
2. On both feet with eyes closed
3. On their non-dominant leg with eyes open
4. On their dominant leg with eyes open

Standing on one leg, particularly the non-dominant leg, showed the highest rate of decline with age.

Balance is a complex skill that involves muscle strength, visual input, the vestibular system (located in the inner ear), and the somatosensory system, which helps detect and perceive sensations like pain, temperature, and body position.

The researchers also found that grip strength decreased more rapidly with age than knee strength, making it a better predictor of aging while walking gait which was measured by having participants walk back and forth at their own pace along an 8-meter flat walkway did not change significantly with age.

Knowing your grip strength and balance time on each leg can be helpful, as you can improve these areas through targeted exercises, reducing your risk of serious injuries as you age as unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and older, with most falls resulting from a loss of balance.

So if you want to age gracefully, test your balancing skills and maybe add some strength training to anti-wrinkle cream.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.