How’s Your Balance?

Take this 10 second test to figure it out. Put a pillow on the floor and stand on it with one leg – with your eyes closed. If you start swaying or fall over in :10 seconds or less, you definitely need to work on your balance… because falls are among the leading causes of accidents and deaths in older adults.

Also, if you’re young and you have balance problems, it could be the result of a neurological issue, a vision problem, or even prescription medications… so you definitely want to address that with your doctor.

If you can pass the test, the UK’s Medical Research Council found that 50-year-olds who could stand on one leg for ten seconds with their eyes closed were the most likely to be fit and healthy for the next 13 years.

Also, a study published in the journal Stroke found that being unable to stand on one leg – on the floor, no pillow involved – for more than 20 seconds was linked to an increased risk of a “silent” stroke – which is a tiny bleed in the brain that doesn’t cause symptoms, but which raises the risk of both a full-blown stroke and dementia.
So, check your balance!