A new study published in the journal PLoS One found that a simple balance test is a strong indicator of age-related decline. Researchers at Mayo Clinic evaluated grip and knee strength, double- and single-leg balance, and back-and-forth walking of 40 participants. Half were aged 50 to 65 and the other half were over 65.
Their main questions were: Which of these metrics deteriorates faster and at what rate? Those answers will help medical professionals create more targeted treatments to slow these declines. Clinicians chose these tests because balance, muscle strength, and an efficient gait—your walking pattern—contribute to quality of life as you age, and are especially important for older adults to maintain independence. The study concluded that the single-leg balance is the best indicator of healthy aging.
It was the one exercise that showed the steepest decline with age. Balance is important for healthy aging “Balance is important because it reflects how well the body systems are working together,” says Kenton Kaufman, lead author of the study, director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory, and orthopedist at Mayo Clinic. Around age 50 is when balance starts to decline, Kaufman says.
That can put you at risk for falling , which is the leading cause of injury for adults over age 65, according to the CDC . “If you can’t stand on a single leg for 5 seconds, then [you] might be at risk for falling,” Kaufman tells Fortune . Kaufman says good single-leg balance shows .
