This BBC News article by David Cox discusses the benefits of standing on one leg, including improved strength, memory, and brain health. Cox explains that while balancing on one leg is easier when we are young, this ability peaks in the late 30s and gradually declines with age. For people over 50, how long they can maintain this balance can be a useful indicator of overall health and healthy aging. Being able to stand on one leg for more than a few seconds may offer insight into balance, mobility, and general well-being.
Cox advises older adults to spend time practicing how to balance on one leg, as this skill can reduce the risk of falls, build strength, and improve memory, offering meaningful health benefits as they age.
Tracy Espiritu McKay, a rehabilitation medicine specialist for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, told BBC: “If you find that it’s not easy, it’s time to start training your balance. These single leg training exercises really improve the balance control and actually change how the brain is structured”
The ability to stand on one leg diminishes with age. People are over 50 or 60 when they start to experience it and then it increases quite a bit with each decade of life after that.
– Kenton Kaufman, director of the motion analysis laboratory at Mayo Clinic in BBC
Below is the key highlights of the Cox’s BBC article concisely summarized using AI writing tools:
Why to care about your balance?
- Balance, muscle loss, and fall risk: Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) weakens the legs and hips by 8% per decade, reducing balance and slowing reaction time by age 80 by 50%. This makes it harder to prevent falls, which is why the ability to stand on one leg is a simple but powerful indicator of physical health in older adults.
- One-leg balance as a brain and cognitive health marker: Standing on one leg requires the brain to integrate sensory input from the eyes, muscles, and inner ear. Research links better balance—such as holding the position for at least five seconds—to healthier brain function and slower cognitive decline.
- Benefits of single-leg training: Regularly practicing one-leg standing or exercises helps preserve muscle strength, improve balance, reduce fall risk, and may positively influence brain structure and function.
- A signal of healthy aging and longevity: Performance on a single-leg stance test has been linked to overall disease risk and even premature death, making balance a meaningful marker of healthy aging.
- Small habit, big impact: Simple lifestyle changes like balance training take little time but can significantly support strength, brain health, and long-term well-being.
Standing on one leg is a simple way to gauge muscle strength, balance, and brain health as we age. Practicing it regularly can reduce fall risk, support cognitive health, and promote healthier aging.
How to practice balance?
- Strength, balance, and brain benefits: Single-leg training strengthens the legs, hips, and core, enhances balance, and supports brain health and cognitive function. Combining balance, strength, and aerobic exercises—like yoga or tai chi—can reduce fall risk by up to 50%.
- Practical ways to practice: Incorporate one-leg standing into daily activities, such as washing up or brushing teeth, aiming for minimal swaying. Gentle hip-strengthening exercises with light resistance can further improve stability.
- Frequency for older adults: For those over 65, practicing at least three times a week—or weaving it into daily routines—is recommended for maximum benefit.
- Self-assessment and monitoring: Testing the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, barefoot and with shoes, is a simple way to gauge balance and monitor fall risk.
Our brains aren’t fixed,. They’re pretty malleable. These single leg training exercises really improve the balance control and actually change how the brain is structured, especially in regions that are involved in sensory motor integration and your spatial awareness.
– Espiritu McKay in BBC
Practicing single-leg standing strengthens the legs, hips, and core, improves balance, and supports brain health. Combined with exercises like yoga or tai chi, it can cut fall risk by 19%, and when incorporated into daily routines, it offers an easy way for older adults to stay strong, stable, and cognitively sharp.
At our clinic, we assessed a woman who was 95 and able to successfully hold a single-leg stance for 10 seconds on either foot. We can train and improve the performance of our biological systems until the last days of our life, even if you’re a centenarian.
– Claudio Gil Araújo, an exercise medicine researcher in BBC
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of an experimental learning process. For more information, see the original article below: