Longevity is increasing worldwide due to improvements in healthcare and living standards. Aging is often associated with disability and multiple health concerns. To address these challenges, effective interventions are essential.
Good balance, muscle strength and an efficient gait contribute to people's independence and well-being as they age. How these factors change, and at what rate, can help clinicians develop programs to ensure healthy aging. Individually, people can train their balance without special equipment and work on maintaining it over time.
A new study investigated potential age-related declines in gait, balance, and strength.
Healthy individuals over 50 years of age were recruited for this study. Upper extremity (grip) strength and lower extremity (knee) strength of the dominant side were measured. Static balance was performed on the force plate in different situations each for 30 seconds: bilateral stance with eyes open, bilateral stance with eyes closed, as well as dominant leg and non-dominant leg unilateral stance with eyes open. Gait was measured during level walking using an optical motion capture system.
The study results indicated that gait parameters were not significantly affected by age, while knee and grip strength, along with several balance parameters, showed a significant decline with age.
All individuals were able to maintain their bipedal balance (two legs), but their center of pressure movement increased significantly by age.
Unipedal stance time (one leg balance) was found to be the most affected by age compared to other contributing factors.
The duration of unipedal (one leg) balance showed the most significant change per decade, while strength measures exhibited the lowest amount of change per decade.
Sex differences were observed exclusively in strength parameters, with no discernible impact on the decline in balance parameters.
These findings suggest that the duration of standing and balancing on one leg can serve as a reliable measure of neuromuscular aging for both elderly male and female subjects.
The authors said that people can take steps to train their balance. For example, by standing on one leg, you can train yourself to coordinate your muscle and vestibular responses to maintain correct balance. If you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, you are doing well.
They went on to say: "If you don't use it, you lose it. If you use it, you maintain it," It's easy to do. It doesn't require special equipment, and you can do it every day."
Many yoga poses are further ways to practice balance one leg at a time. Just be sure to be close to a wall to break a fall if you tip over!
