Bits & Pieces: Standing on one leg

by Paula Johnson

Over the last several weeks, I have run across some interesting “bits and pieces” of health information. To be clear, I am NOT a health nut. I am not even a gym rat – though I do have two siblings I would put in that last category. 

   However, I am concerned about being healthy and fortunately enjoy many aspects of healthy living. I prefer fresh over fried, green over brown and avoid processed food. On the minus side I enjoy red meat (though I love salmon), and I hope to live over 90 and have a diet of wine and ice cream.

   What got me started on this thinking was an article I read in Super Age about balancing on one leg. Hummm. Since childhood I have taken ballet, tap, modern jazz, acrobatics, swimming, lifeguard, etc. An active life style did not leave me after age 6. 

   However, since I have considered myself to have crossed the threshold into old age, I have stopped doing backbends and touching my head with my toes. Yet, standing on one leg intrigued me.

   Because I slipped and had a stupid fall – neither breaking nor fracturing anything, but bugging up my right knee area, I thought I would give this a try on my non-dominant leg.

   I made it only 8 seconds – poo! Ok, try the now-weakened leg. Same thing – 8 seconds. Grr!

    Back to reading more about this. Amazingly, there is an accepted chart for standing on one leg. Thirty seconds isn’t  typical for every age group. Maybe I’m not too bad after all.

  Got up and tried one more time. Hey, I improved to 10 seconds. At this age, I will take what I can get.

   Here are the expected times (eyes open) in age brackets:

• Under 40 years: 40 to 45 seconds

• Ages 40 to 49: 40 seconds

• Ages 50 to 59: 35 to 37 seconds

• Ages 60 to 69: 30 seconds

• Ages 70 to 79: 15 to 20 seconds

• 80 years and older: 6 to 10 seconds

   According to Kenton Kaufman, Ph.D., director of Motion Analysis Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, “Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system and the somatosensory systems.” 

    The vestibular system is in the inner ear and brain regulating balance, 3-deminsional space, and eye movement among other things to help prevent falling. The somatosensory system is the network in our bodies helping us be aware of touch, pain, temperature, vibration, and body position – protecting reflexes.

  Ok then, I am still at the top of my age group! If I keep practicing, maybe I will get even better. No more backbends, but standing on one leg might become my super power! If I stop being stupid (always hope) and improve standing on one leg, maybe I will dimmish my chances of falling. How about it? Ready to join me?

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