As 2022 draws to a close, now is the time to reflect on our physical health, healthy eating and other behavioral changes that help us lead better lives.

This is also the time of year when a lot of people make a new promise to start a new beginning. Losing weight, managing money, changing diets or staying dry during the month of January are some popular examples.

One of the neglected issues for staying healthy and fit is seemingly “physical balance“. For instance, a simple practice of standing on one leg would be associated with a longer life.

According to CNN Fitness, factors such as “our balance outside of age, such as medication, vision changes, neuropathy of the feet, brain injuries, obesity and a general lack of physical fitness”.

Susan Baxter, a physiotherapist in Melbourne, Australia, told CNN “Our body is conditioned to lose what we don’t regularly use and practice, and balance is no different.”

Following are the three tests to practice & improve physical balance, recommended by Prevention magazine:

• “Stand with your feet together, ankles touching and arms folded across your chest. You should be able to stand in this position, with your eyes closed, for 60 seconds. You can also do the same test placing one foot directly in front of the other. You should be able to stand 38 seconds on both sides.
• “Stand on one foot, without your other foot touching your standing leg. Those under age 60 should be able to stand in this position for 29 seconds with their eyes open and 21 seconds with them closed. People 60 and older should be able to clock 22 seconds and 10 seconds, respectively.
• “Stand on one foot with your hands on your hips, placing the other foot against the inside of your knee. Raising the heel of your standing foot off the floor, you should be able to remain steady and upright for 25 seconds.

– From CNN Fitness

Michael Landau, a Feldenkrais practitioner in Limache, Chile, who teaches mindful movement, told CNN “When you have good balance, you move around with less fear and more flexibility. […] Mechanoreceptors in our feet send messages to our brain to let us know our feet are working and where they are in space. Once trained adequately to balance without footwear, step on a yoga mat or thin pillow and try that challenge.”

“Good balance improves your general mobility, so you’ll move more and your muscles and bones will get stronger. It’s good for longevity and general health, and it makes life worth living,” Landau told CNN.