Balancing on 1 Leg Can Assess How Your Muscles Are Aging, Study Explains

Three key mobility factors decline as we age: gait, muscle strength, and balance, but how much neuromuscular control can we expect to lose—and is this decline preventable? In a recent cross-sectional study published in PLOS ONE, researchers wanted to know how these aging indicators related to one another and whether men or women experience different rates of decline.

Their findings suggest that a simple, non-invasive one-legged stand can assess how well one’s neuromuscular system is aging. The balance test (that people can do at home) would give doctors critical information to help their patients prevent further neuromuscular decline or adjust to the inevitable. Here’s exactly what the study found and how you can use this information at any age to evaluate and improve your mobility.

Study Findings

The study’s authors evaluated a cohort of 40 healthy subjects from the Mayo Clinic for walking, balance, grip strength, and knee strength using several methods and the help of trained physiotherapists. Subjects’ ages ranged from 50 to 65 and up, and they had similar height, weight, BMI, and activity levels.

To assess balance, subjects were asked to stand on a force plate that measured their movements. They stood on two feet with eyes open and closed, then were asked to stand on their dominant and non-dominant leg with eyes open. Each test was done three times, and a mean score was calculated.

According to the study authors, gait was not strongly associated with aging despite increasing postural sway when standing still. The data showed that knee and grip strength and balance commonly declined with age in the following percentages per decade.

• Grip strength declined 3.7%
• Knee strength declined 1.4%
• Swaying with eyes opened increased by 6.3%
• Swaying with eyes closed increased by 10.4%
• Non-dominant one-leg standing time decreased by 2.2%
• Dominant one-leg standing time decreased by 1.7%

When all tests were compared, standing on one leg was the most strongly associated with age-related decline. “The duration an individual, whether male or female, can maintain balance on one leg emerges as the most reliable determinant of aging, surpassing strength, gait, and other balance parameters,” the study explained.  

Other research has suggested that the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds is linked to better overall mortality, meaning if you can successfully do this, you’re less likely to die prematurely. This and the current study suggest that the one-legged test could be a reliable part of a physical exam for older adults.

How to Test Your Balance at Home

You can easily test your balance at home, but do not attempt this test without supervision if you have a history of falls. Give yourself three tries, then rank the best and worst scores and calculate the mean.

In the current study, participants kept their eyes open and then stepped forward with one leg. They could put the other leg and their arms in any position desired to help them maintain balance.

The longer they stood without putting the other foot down, the better their balance score. Being able to stand for longer than 10 seconds is ideal, as referenced earlier, but you also want to be close to the mean for your age group.