> Conclusions: These findings suggest that the duration of unipedal stance can serve as a reliable and gender-independent measure of neuromuscular aging for both elderly male and female subjects.
So how long you stand on a single leg is a sort of biomarker.
Until you start training this specifically, then it probably loses its predictive power. If you work out, balance exercises are usually a part of your work out. Especially as you get older.
Plenty of old people practice tai chi just for balance. Falling is a major death Factor...
I do not understand the numbers I use for unipedal stance duration though. I had a 60 year old relative stand on hens non-dominant leg and hen gave up after a minute--so I'm not sure what 10s/s actually measures...
E.g. training balance specifically or even strength-balance (single leg deadlifts) would be a good way to squeeze a couple extra quality years / months?
Or will you just be gaming the test ultimately ?
I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?
Like slowing down the aging of the brain or something like that
I know multiple „elderly“ (barely over seventy) people who lost all quality of life after falling and breaking a bone. Two crushed vertebrae, one broken hip. All of them essentially bedridden now. Training balance and strength can definitely lower the chances of that. IMO that’s enough benefit to recommend training balance specifically. Any links between fitness and lower chances of senility are just a bonus.
> I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?
I'd speculate that movement in general is conducive to better longevity. And I wouldn't underestimate the effect of "less falls". In my understanding, both injuries and lack of movement due to lifestyle begets even less mobility and other health problems.
And it's a steep downward spiral at an old age for an average person.
> Conclusions: These findings suggest that the duration of unipedal stance can serve as a reliable and gender-independent measure of neuromuscular aging for both elderly male and female subjects.
So how long you stand on a single leg is a sort of biomarker.
Until you start training this specifically, then it probably loses its predictive power. If you work out, balance exercises are usually a part of your work out. Especially as you get older.
That’s an excellent example of Goodhart’s law!
"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure".
Plenty of old people practice tai chi just for balance. Falling is a major death Factor...
I do not understand the numbers I use for unipedal stance duration though. I had a 60 year old relative stand on hens non-dominant leg and hen gave up after a minute--so I'm not sure what 10s/s actually measures...
I wonder if this works in reverse too?
E.g. training balance specifically or even strength-balance (single leg deadlifts) would be a good way to squeeze a couple extra quality years / months? Or will you just be gaming the test ultimately ?
I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?
Like slowing down the aging of the brain or something like that
I know multiple „elderly“ (barely over seventy) people who lost all quality of life after falling and breaking a bone. Two crushed vertebrae, one broken hip. All of them essentially bedridden now. Training balance and strength can definitely lower the chances of that. IMO that’s enough benefit to recommend training balance specifically. Any links between fitness and lower chances of senility are just a bonus.
> I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?
I'd speculate that movement in general is conducive to better longevity. And I wouldn't underestimate the effect of "less falls". In my understanding, both injuries and lack of movement due to lifestyle begets even less mobility and other health problems.
And it's a steep downward spiral at an old age for an average person.