Aging is inevitable, but it affects each person differently and there are a series of parameters that can predict how age influences our body and our abilities to function in daily activities. A new study has now revealed that the length of time a person can stand on one leg is a more telling measure of aging than changes in strength or gait. The findings have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Good balance, muscle strength and efficient gait contribute to people’s independence and well-being as they age. How these factors change and at what rate can help doctors develop programs to ensure healthy aging. Individually, people can train their balance without special equipment and work to maintain it over time.
Alterations in balance that contribute to falls in the elderly
In this study, 40 healthy, independent people over the age of 50 underwent gait, balance, grip strength, and knee strength tests. Half of the participants were under 65 years old and the other half were 65 years old or older.
In the balance tests, participants stood on force platforms in different situations: on both feet with eyes open, on both feet with eyes closed, on the non-dominant leg with eyes open, and on the dominant leg. with eyes open. In single-leg trials, participants could keep the leg they were not standing on wherever they wanted. The tests lasted 30 seconds each. Standing on one leg (specifically the non-dominant one) showed the greatest rate of decline with age.
“If you have poor balance, you are at risk of falling whether you are moving or not, and falls are a serious health risk with serious consequences”
“Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires information from vision, the vestibular system, and somatosensory systems. The changes in balance are noteworthy. “If you have poor balance, you are at risk of falling whether you are moving or not, and falls are a serious health risk with serious consequences,” explained Dr. Kenton Kaufman, director of the Laboratory for Analysis of the Mayo Clinic Movement and lead author of the study.
Accidental falls are the leading cause of injuries among adults over 65 years of age. Most falls among older adults result from a loss of balance. The researchers used a custom-made device to measure the participants’ grip. For the knee strength test, participants were seated and were instructed to extend their knee as forcefully as possible. Both grip and knee strength tests were dominant.
Grip and knee strength showed significant declines by decade, but not as much as balance. Grip strength decreased at a faster rate than knee strength, making it a better predictor of aging than other strength measures.
For the walking test, participants walked back and forth on an 8-meter level walkway at their own pace and speed. Gait parameters did not change with age, but participants walked at their normal pace, not their maximum pace, Dr. Kaufman said.
There were no age-associated reductions in the sex-specific strength tests and this indicates that participants’ grip and knee strength decreased at a similar rate. No sex differences were observed in gait and balance tests, suggesting that age affected male and female individuals equally.
Dr. Kaufman says people can train their balance. For example, when standing on one leg, they can be trained to coordinate their muscular and vestibular responses to maintain correct balance. If they can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, they’re doing well, he says. “If you don’t use it, you lose it. If you use it, you keep it,” says Dr. Kaufman. “It’s easy to do. It requires no special equipment and can be done every day.”
