According to recent studies, the amount of time we can stand on one leg for our age can help determine our health. How long you can keep the position can give insight into your neuromuscular condition.
If you’re between 18 and 39, you should be able to hold the pose for 43 seconds. Ages 40 to 49 should be able to do it 40 seconds. The time for ages 50 to 59 is 37 seconds. Ages 60 to 69 is 30 seconds. 70 to 79 is 18 seconds. And anyone over 80 should be able to hold up one leg for 5 seconds or longer.
To test yourself, you need to keep your eyes open and your hands on your hips. Then stand on one leg without any other support. Time starts when your foot leaves the ground and stops when you put your foot back down or when you take your hands off your hips.
Not to panic anyone, but the British Journal of Sports Medicine says that the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life is linked to a near doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years. One researcher also said, “We know that people who struggle to balance for the expected amount of time are at a higher risk of developing ill-health as they age.”
Of course, strength training and exercises, even as we age, can help.