Balance and Mortality Risk are Linked

July 11, 2022

Hello again everyone:

This research supports previous investigations that revealed that poor one-legged standing time as a measure of postural instability, is associated with cognitive decline as well as asymptomatic vascular damage in the brain. Here is how they figured this out:

Introduction

Ageing is associated with a progressive decline in physical fitness^1–3 and reductions or impairments in components of aerobic^{4 5} and non-aerobic fitness, including muscle strength/power, flexibility, balance and body composition.^6–11 It is also well-established that the combination of sarcopenic obesity and loss of flexibility and balance are detrimental for overall health, placing older adults with frailty more prone to falls and other serious adverse medical sequelae.¹² Indeed, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-based deaths worldwide.¹³ Unlike aerobic fitness,^{2 14} muscle strength⁹ and flexibility,⁸balance tends to be reasonably preserved until the sixth decade of life, when comparatively, it starts to diminish quickly.^{15 16}

Conclusion

Our study indicates that the inability to complete a 10-s OLS in middle-aged and older participants is related to a higher risk of all-cause mortality and, consequently, to a shorter life expectancy.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/22/bjsports-2021-105360

Bottom Line:

Keep your balance sharp to live longer and feel better. There are many at home balance exercises that do not require any equipment and they do not take much time. Consider that you might be saving your life as studies show that the elderly who fall and fracture a bone often become unable to normally move about. After one year a full 25% of those will die prematurely from the lack of movement. It should be no surprise to you that movement is a vital nutrient essential for optimal health. Here is a picture of how to do the test. Check both legs. It is best to do this in a corner for safety or where you can easily stabilize yourself, such as standing with a chair immediately in front of your hands. I hope this test is easy for you, but if you fail it then spend some time daily to improve your balance. I often stand on one leg while cooking or brushing my teeth or cleaning up at the kitchen sink.

Balance and Mortality Risk are Linked

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