{"id":15158,"date":"2025-07-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=15158"},"modified":"2025-06-27T16:52:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T16:52:14","slug":"stand-on-one-leg-test-physical-ageing-viewpoint-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/stand-on-one-leg-test-physical-ageing-viewpoint-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The Viewpoint: How long can you stand on one leg? This simple test is the single clearest indicator of physical\u00a0ageing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n<head>\n    <meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n    <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n    <title>The One-Leg Balance Test: An Indicator of Physical Ageing<\/title>\n    <style>\n        :root {\n            --primary: #00788C; \n            --accent: #B9E3E3; \n            --dark: #244B5A;   \n            --text: #000000;\n            --background: #FFFFFF;\n            --section-gap: 2rem;\n            --border-radius: 8px;\n        }\n        \n        * {\n            margin: 0;\n            padding: 0;\n            box-sizing: border-box;\n        }\n        \n        body {\n            font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;\n            background-color: var(--background);\n            color: var(--text);\n            line-height: 1.5;\n            padding: 0;\n            margin: 0;\n            font-size: 0.95rem;\n        }\n        \n        .infographic-container {\n            max-width: 100%;\n            margin: 0 auto;\n            overflow-x: hidden;\n        }\n        \n        header {\n            background-color: var(--primary);\n            color: white;\n            padding: 2rem 1rem;\n            text-align: center;\n        }\n        \n        h1 {\n            font-size: 2rem;\n            margin-bottom: 0.75rem;\n            line-height: 1.2;\n        }\n        \n        .subtitle {\n            font-size: 1rem;\n            opacity: 0.9;\n        }\n        \n        .sections-container {\n            display: flex;\n            flex-direction: column;\n            padding: 2rem 1rem;\n            gap: var(--section-gap);\n        }\n        \n        .section {\n            background: white;\n            border-radius: var(--border-radius);\n            box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);\n            padding: 2rem;\n            margin-bottom: 2rem; 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A major 2022 study found that the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds was linked to a two-fold increased risk of death in people over 50. More recently, a 2024 Mayo Clinic study concluded that balance is the single best indicator of neuromuscular ageing.\n          <\/p>\n          <div class=\"callout-quote\">Those who failed the 10-second test had a significantly higher mortality rate over a 7-year follow-up period.<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"section\">\n        <h2 id=\"the-science-of-staying-upright\" class=\"section-header\">The Science of Staying Upright<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"section-content\">\n          <p class=\"summary\">\n            To stay balanced on one foot, your body relies on a constant stream of information. Your vision provides data about your position, your inner ear detects changes in head orientation, and your proprioceptive system tells your brain where your limbs are. The brain processes these signals and triggers automatic muscle corrections to keep you from falling over.\n          <\/p>\n           <div class=\"visual-cue\">\n            <div class=\"image-wrapper\">\n                <img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"An older woman smiling while standing on one leg in a balance exercise.\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/661987\/original\/file-20250317-56-mdthdj.jpg\" >\n            <\/div>\n            Maintaining balance requires a complex interplay between the brain, vision, inner ear, and muscles.\n            <div class=\"image-attribution\">\n                Credit: Dmytro Zinkevych\/Shutterstock\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"section\">\n        <h2 id=\"why-balance-declines-with-age\" class=\"section-header\">Why Balance Declines With Age<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"section-content\">\n          <p class=\"summary\">\n            All the systems that contribute to balance tend to deteriorate as we get older, affecting our ability to stay stable. Furthermore, health conditions common in older adults\u2014such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes\u2014can significantly compromise balance and increase the risk of falls and injuries.\n          <\/p>\n          <div class=\"callout-quote\">Balance is the factor most affected by age, with significant changes occurring in each decade of life.<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"section\">\n        <h2 id=\"use-it-or-lose-it-how-to-improve\" class=\"section-header\">Use It or Lose It: How to Improve<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"section-content\">\n          <p class=\"summary\">\n            The good news is that balance is a skill you can improve with practice. Simple daily exercises, such as standing on one leg while brushing your teeth, walking in a straight line, or practicing yoga or tai chi, can make a huge difference. Maintaining an exercise routine is crucial to preserving muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination as you age.\n          <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <footer>\n      <div class=\"footer-attribution\">\n        Based on research by <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/beatriz-carpallo-porcar-1437201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beatriz Carpallo Porcar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/rita-galan-diaz-2327303\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rita Gal\u00e1n D\u00edaz<\/a>, Universidad San Jorge\n        <br>\n        Adapted from an article <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg-this-simple-test-is-the-single-clearest-indicator-of-physical-ageing-254641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">originally published on The Conversation<\/a>, under <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY-ND 4.0<\/a>. Changes made.\n      <\/div>\n    <\/footer>\n  <\/div>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to researchers, how long you can stand on one leg is the single clearest indicator of physical ageing and overall longevity.\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.pexels.com\/photos\/9486651\/pexels-photo-9486651.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10339,12],"tags":[13985,8514,13972,13982,13979,13977,13978,13971,13983,13976,8496,8520,13981,13975,8501,8508,13974,13980,13973,13984,10008,8506],"class_list":{"0":"post-15158","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-viewpoint","8":"category-health-and-body","9":"tag-age-and-balance","10":"tag-balance-exercises","11":"tag-balance-test","12":"tag-gait","13":"tag-grip-strength","14":"tag-health-indicator","15":"tag-how-to-improve-balance","16":"tag-longevity","17":"tag-mayo-clinic-study","18":"tag-mortality-risk","19":"tag-muscle-strength","20":"tag-neuromuscular-ageing","21":"tag-older-people","22":"tag-physical-ageing","23":"tag-proprioceptive-system","24":"tag-risk-of-falls","25":"tag-single-leg-stance","26":"tag-stability-and-coordination","27":"tag-stand-on-one-leg","28":"tag-tai-chi","29":"tag-viewpoint","30":"tag-yoga-for-balance","31":"cs-entry","32":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15158"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15162,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15158\/revisions\/15162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}