Training your balance

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260114-the-surprising-benefits-of-standing-on-one-leg Training your balance The better news is that research increasingly shows that we can do a lot to reduce the risks of these age-related problems by actively practising standing on one leg. Such exercises – which scientists refer to as "single leg training" – can not only hone your core, hip and leg muscles, but your underlying brain health. "Our brains aren't fixed," says Espiritu McKay. "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." Balancing on one leg can also boost our cognitive performance while performing tasks by activating the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, with one study showing it can even improve the working memory of healthy young adults. Espiritu McKay, a rehabilitation medicine specialist for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , recommends that all over 65s should begin doing single leg training exercises at least three times a week to improve their mobility, as well as reducing their future fall risk, but ideally she recommends incorporating it into your daily routine. There may be greater benefits from starting this kind of training even earlier in life. Claudio Gil Araújo, an exercise medicine researcher at the Clinimex clinic in Rio de Janeiro and who led the 2022 study looking at one legged standing and premature death risk, suggests that all over 50s should carry out a self-assessment of their ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds. "This can be easily incorporated into your daily activities," he says. "You can stand for 10 seconds on one leg and then switch to the other while brushing your teeth. I also recommend doing this both barefoot and with shoes on, because they're slightly different." This is because wearing shoes produces different levels of stability compared to being barefoot. Daily activities such as standing at the sink while washing up or brushing your teeth are also perfect opportunities to train your single leg standing abilities, researchers say. Try keeping swaying to as little as possible for as long as you can. Gains can be achieved from spending just 10 minutes a day practicing your balance. Smooth hip strengthening exercises using gentle resistance – also known as isokinetic exercise – can also help to improve one-legged standing. …with persistence and consistency, it's possible to retain good balance even well into your nineties, and possibly even beyond. "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," he says. "We can train and improve the performance of our biological systems until the last days of our life, even if you're a centenarian."