The ability to stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds is strongly linked to the risk of death over the next 7 years.
People in middle age and older who couldn’t perform the a 10-second standing test were nearly four times as likely to die of any cause ― heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and more ― in the coming years than those who could, well, stand the test of time.
For those between 51 and 75 years of age, it is riskier for survival to not complete the 10-second one-leg standing test than to have been diagnosed as having coronary artery disease or in being hypertensive or having abnormal cholesterol.
Worldwide nearly 700,000 people each year die as a result of a fall, according to the World Health Organization, and more than 37 million falls annually require medical attention.
The ability to rise from a sitting position on the floor is also a strong predictor of longevity.
The standing test, which involves balancing on one leg and placing the other foot at the back weight-bearing limb for support.
People get three tries to maintain that posture for at least 10 seconds.
The ability to perform the test drops with age.
Although 20% of people in the study overall were unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, that figure rose to about 70% for those aged 76–80 years, and nearly 90% for those aged 81–85.
Roughly age 70, half of people could not complete the 10-second test.
Over an average of 7 years of follow-up, 17.5% of people who could not manage the 10-second stand had died, compared with 4.5% of those who could last that long,,
After accounting for age and many other risk factors, such as diabetes, body mass index, and a history of heart disease, people who were unable to complete the standing test were 84% more likely to die from any cause over the study period than their peers with better one-legged static balance.