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Post by SAR01 on Oct 29, 2024 18:51:01 GMT -5
October 29, 2024
Balance: The Key Measure for Aging Health in Older Adults
There's a simple way for people over 50 to gauge how well they're aging: the one-leg balance test. According to recent research, people who can balance on one leg for 30 seconds, especially on their weaker side, may be showing signs of healthy aging. This straightforward test proved to be more effective at evaluating age-related changes than other standard tests like hand grip, knee strength, and walking gait. The findings, published in PLOS One, suggest that maintaining balance may be closely linked to other aspects of aging and physical health.
"Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system, and somatosensory systems," said Dr. Kenton Kaufman, the senior researcher and director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic. These systems help orient the body in space and allow people to make rapid adjustments to stay upright. "Changes in balance are noteworthy," Kaufman added in a Mayo Clinic news release. "If you have poor balance, you're at risk of falling, whether or not you're moving." For older adults, this risk can have serious consequences, as falls are a leading cause of injury and even death among seniors.
In this study, researchers observed 40 healthy, independent individuals over the age of 50, half of whom were between 50 and 64, while the other half were 65 and older. Each participant completed a series of physical tests, including balancing on each leg for up to 30 seconds, with eyes open. The participants also performed other balance exercises, standing on both feet with eyes open and then with eyes closed, to assess the role of vision in balance. Among all these tests, balancing on one leg - especially the non-dominant one - proved most effective at capturing age-related decline.
Grip and knee strength tests also showed signs of aging, but they didn't capture as much of the decline as the balance test. According to Kaufman, people can improve their balance simply by practicing standing on one leg regularly. "If you don't use it, you lose it," he emphasized. "But if you use it, you maintain it." Practicing the one-leg balance test strengthens the stabilizing muscles and builds the coordination needed to hold the pose, he added. This simple exercise can help mitigate one of the most critical health risks for older adults: falls.
With unintentional falls being the primary cause of injury for those over 65, exercises like these are essential. Kaufman encourages seniors to practice balance daily as a form of preventive care that can be done at home, requires no equipment, and improves not only physical stability but also confidence. The test and its results underscore the role of balance in overall health, reinforcing that aging healthfully involves keeping the body in tune with its natural stability systems.
Balance: The Key Measure for Aging Health in Older Adults
There's a simple way for people over 50 to gauge how well they're aging: the one-leg balance test. According to recent research, people who can balance on one leg for 30 seconds, especially on their weaker side, may be showing signs of healthy aging. This straightforward test proved to be more effective at evaluating age-related changes than other standard tests like hand grip, knee strength, and walking gait. The findings, published in PLOS One, suggest that maintaining balance may be closely linked to other aspects of aging and physical health.
"Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system, and somatosensory systems," said Dr. Kenton Kaufman, the senior researcher and director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic. These systems help orient the body in space and allow people to make rapid adjustments to stay upright. "Changes in balance are noteworthy," Kaufman added in a Mayo Clinic news release. "If you have poor balance, you're at risk of falling, whether or not you're moving." For older adults, this risk can have serious consequences, as falls are a leading cause of injury and even death among seniors.
In this study, researchers observed 40 healthy, independent individuals over the age of 50, half of whom were between 50 and 64, while the other half were 65 and older. Each participant completed a series of physical tests, including balancing on each leg for up to 30 seconds, with eyes open. The participants also performed other balance exercises, standing on both feet with eyes open and then with eyes closed, to assess the role of vision in balance. Among all these tests, balancing on one leg - especially the non-dominant one - proved most effective at capturing age-related decline.
Grip and knee strength tests also showed signs of aging, but they didn't capture as much of the decline as the balance test. According to Kaufman, people can improve their balance simply by practicing standing on one leg regularly. "If you don't use it, you lose it," he emphasized. "But if you use it, you maintain it." Practicing the one-leg balance test strengthens the stabilizing muscles and builds the coordination needed to hold the pose, he added. This simple exercise can help mitigate one of the most critical health risks for older adults: falls.
With unintentional falls being the primary cause of injury for those over 65, exercises like these are essential. Kaufman encourages seniors to practice balance daily as a form of preventive care that can be done at home, requires no equipment, and improves not only physical stability but also confidence. The test and its results underscore the role of balance in overall health, reinforcing that aging healthfully involves keeping the body in tune with its natural stability systems.