Can You Stand on One Leg for 10s?

Improving balance becomes increasingly important as we age.

An article in the Telegraph yesterday, Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, emphasised the importance of improving balance.

"The inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds after the age of 50 could indicate an early death is on the horizon, new research suggests."

People who failed the simple balance test had double the risk of dying from any cause in the next 10 years, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

It's an easy test to try.

Can you still put socks on while standing up?

It is more difficult because you have to stand on one leg, move your arms, and stretch at the same time.

If you fail either of these tests, you may be able to regain some balance through practice.

I make a point of putting my socks on while standing up, as a balance exercise. It would be much easier to accomplish if I sat down, however, I think if I sat down to put my socks on, after a year or so, I would lose the ability to do so while standing up.

If putting your socks on while standing up is too difficult, you could try working up to it, gradually.

See how long you can stand on one leg without support.

Start with a couple of seconds and then do it every day until you can stand on one leg, comfortable for long enough to put a sock on.

Depending on your starting ability, it might take a few weeks to notice the difference.

So how will practising standing on one leg, increase your lifespan?

Try it and notice the muscles that come into play as you try to stay balanced.

Balancing on one leg strengthens muscles and exercises parts of the brain.

It seems likely to me that practising standing on one leg is useful exercise.

How much more life will it get you?

Take a guess.

So let me guess that you answered, a few seconds. Perhaps 1 second for every 10 minutes of practice.

On this basis, if you practised standing on one leg for 1 to 2 minutes every day, for a year, it would add about a minute to your life span.

It doesn't seem like much yet there are many other quality of life benefits related to recovered balance.

I have been putting my socks on while standing up for as long as I can remember.

Improving balance comes from daily practice.

It takes very little time and can be done while brushing one's teeth.