If You're Struggling To Balance On One Leg, Here's What It Could Say About Your Health

"“One of the biggest issues that we worry about as geriatricians in older adults is falls because they can cause a lot of injuries,” said Dr. Maureen Dale, an associate professor of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Falls can cause hip fractures, vertebral fractures or worse, all of which can hugely impact day-to-day life for older adults, she added."

"“And so preventing falls is really important in our patients as we age, and one of the best ways to prevent falls is to make sure people have good balance.” This is particularly important for post-menopausal women who may have low bone density, said Dr. James F. Wyss, a spine and sports medicine physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York."

"“Lots of times, the focus on preventing a fracture is addressing bone density and strength training. But the greatest way to prevent a fracture is to prevent a fall,” Wyss said. “Sure, it's great if you can get your bones stronger through strength training or a medication, but if you don't fall, you've eliminated the risk altogether.”"

"“People should be able to stand on one foot for about 10 seconds and be able to hold their balance,” Dale said. “If they can't do that, that's worth talking to their primary care provider or physician about to think about things that they can do.” There are often medical interventions that can improve balance, she noted. While 10 seconds is the goal, the longer you can balance - even up to 30 seconds - the better, noted Janice McGrail, a physical therapist at Mass General Brigham's Spaulding Rehabilitation."

Falls in older adults can lead to serious injuries such as hip fractures and vertebral fractures, greatly affecting daily life. Preventing falls is therefore important as people age, and good balance is a key way to reduce fall risk. Post-menopausal women may have low bone density, increasing the consequences of falls. Focusing only on bone density and strength training may miss the most direct prevention strategy, because preventing a fall eliminates the risk of fracture. Adults should be able to balance on one foot for at least 10 seconds, and longer balance times up to 30 seconds are better. Difficulty meeting this goal can indicate health issues and warrants discussion with a primary care provider, since interventions may improve balance.

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