This quick test can identify areas of physical deficits you can use to help prevent falls and may identify a higher risk of stroke. Consider these six simple exercises to improve your balance.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Research confirms past studies showing that the ability to perform a 10-second, one-leg stand is independently linked to all-cause mortality
- Falls increase the risk of death in older adults and are the No. 1 cause of death and injuries in older Americans. The number of deaths from falling rose from 8,613 in 2000 to 25,189 in 2016
- Factors that increase the risk of falling are poor balance, some medications, using multiple medications simultaneously, loss of muscle mass, vitamin D deficiency and inner ear problems such as Meniere’s disease and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- After addressing underlying medical problems that affect balance, you can improve balance using yoga, improving core strength, and doing exercises like heel-to-toe standing and walking or high-knee marching
Research1British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022;[56:97]5 published in August 2022, confirms that the ability to perform a 10-second, one-leg stand is independently linked to all-cause mortality. During the pandemic, an already largely sedentary American population began moving even less.2BMC Public Health, 2021;21(425) Lockdowns and transitioning to working from home increased the tendency to sit at the computer for long hours.
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