Today you’ll discover a simple test so you can determine whether your balance is in top shape or if you need to take action to improve it. In addition, you’ll also get an easy yet effective exercise that you can practice anytime anywhere to enhance your balance.
Let’s begin by exploring this very important topic…
What’s Involved In Maintaining Balance
Without your having to think about it, your body does an astonishing balancing act every day. And I am not just talking about your busy schedule! For you to stay up on two feet, a delicate interplay occurs between your eyes, ears, brain, and muscles.
Visual cues from our eyes give us information about where we are in space. This is why it can be difficult to keep your balance with your eyes closed. Your eyes also send signals to your brain, telling your joints and muscles where and how to move. For example, if you see an obstacle in your path, this visual cue will be sent to your brain which will then signal your muscles to walk around or over the object.
Your inner ear is also involved in the balancing process. Among its tiny, delicate mechanisms is the semi-circular canal. This fluid-filled tube alerts your central nervous system as to the position of your head.
You also have a built-in mechanism that tells your nervous system where your arms and legs are in space. It’s called internal spatial orientation, and it’s the automatic sense that lets you know your arm is out to the side or your leg is pointing forward (for example).
Now let’s move on so you can find out if your balance is up to par.
The 30-Second Balance Test
First, you’ll need to find a partner to time you, because your eyes will be closed. It’s also important to have someone close by in case you fall.
- Stand barefoot on a hard floor. Now close your eyes.
- Bend one knee and lift the foot – if you’re left-handed, stand on your left leg and lift the right foot; do the opposite if you’re right-handed. You don’t need to lift it high; even though your eyes are closed, you can probably estimate about 6 inches off the floor.
- Ask the person with you to check his or her watch, and time how long you can hold that position without wobbling or opening your eyes.
- Repeat the test 3 times, and then add up your total time and divide it by 3 to find your average balance base. (For example, if test 1 was 4 seconds, test 2 was 8 seconds, and test 3 was 6 seconds, you’d add up 4, 8, and 6 to get 18. Divide by 3, and your average balance time is 6 seconds.)
- Place both your hands on your waist.
- Gently lift one leg out to the side, just a few inches off the floor.
- Bring the leg back down to the starting position and repeat.
- Do a set of 10, then switch to the other leg and do a set of 10 on that side.
- Keep switching sides until you’ve done 3 sets of 10 on each side.
Not surprisingly, the chart shows that the number of seconds decreases with age. In the 25-30 year group, for example, the average eyes-closed balance time is 28 seconds. For 50-year-olds, it’s 9 seconds; 65-year-olds average 5 seconds, and 70-year-olds 4 seconds. That’s because…
Balance Tends To Decrease With Age
As we get older, our eyesight tends to diminish, throwing a wrench in the first step in good balance (vision). Muscles tend to shrink and your reaction time may be a bit slower. But there’s good news, because…
You Can Improve Your Balance Regardless Of Age
You don’t have to be resigned to poorer balance as you age. You can take action to improve and maintain it.
Savers know how important balance is, and many of you are probably already doing the “Flamingo trick,” which involves standing on one leg while doing an every day chore. And as so often happens, if you’ve been following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, you’re years ahead of the majority.
A Recent Study Confirms What Savers Have Known For Years!
A study published last year shows that there’s scientific validity to the Flamingo trick, but you already knew that! Researchers conducted a trial to study the effectiveness of the “dynamic flamingo exercise” in preventing falls. They found that periodically standing on one leg does in fact improve balance, prevent falls, and even improve independent living.1
Once again, something very simple can have a big impact.
In a meta-analysis review of 17 trials involving a total of 4305 participants aged 60 and older, researchers concluded that regularly engaging in balance exercises not only prevented falls, but actually prevented injury (including fractures) when falls did occur. Even in the case of severe falls, injuries were less common among those who exercised regularly.2
Improve Your Balance With Bone-Healthy Nutrition And Exercise
The research is clear: regular balance exercises prevent falls and fractures. Additionally, certain foods also promote balance. Foods rich in a substance called resveratrol actually prevent neural cell death and markedly improve balance and coordination.3 Red grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and peanuts are rich in resveratrol.
A good place to get started with balancing exercises is with this simple move you can do just about anywhere.
The Side Leg Lift
Begin by standing near a wall or chair so you can catch yourself if necessary. Wear comfortable shoes, and stand with knees slightly bent.
I suggest you practice balancing exercises for a few weeks, and then repeat the balance test. And if you haven’t yet, please take a few minutes to read more about Densercise™ which was designed to greatly improve your balance, muscle tone, and bone density. And don’t forget to let us know of your improvement!
Till next time,
1 Sakamoto, K., et al. “Why not use your own body weight to prevent falls? A randomized, controlled trial of balance therapy to prevent falls and fractures for elderly people who can stand on one leg for <15 s.” Journal of Orthopedic Science. 2013 Jan; 18(1): 110-20. doi: 10.1007/s00776-012-0328-3. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23138409
2 El-Khoury, Fabienne, et al. “The effect of fall prevention exercise programmes on fall incused injuries in community dwelling older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” British Medical Journal. 29 October 2013; 347:f6234. Web. https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6234
3 Walle T, et al. “High absorption but very low bioavailability of oral resveratrol in humans”. Drug Metab Dispos. 2004;32(12):1377-1382.
Comments on this article are closed.
Cant hold more than like 20 seconds and im 14
You tell us to do the exercise with eyes closed, you show a table which shows that as we get older the time we can stay balance for decreases and then you say
“As we get older, our eyesight tends to diminish, throwing a wrench in the first step in good balance (vision)”
Well on earth what is the point of doing the exercise with eyes closed, or alternatively, what more pertinent explanations do you have apart from poor eyesight?
One of the reasons is that it’s suggested it’s a predictor as to whether one will suffering a stroke in later years.
Also it shows the possibility of Romberg’s test which again relates to our brain’s ability to control balance when input from our eyes is taken out of the equation.
Here’s a quote from the Daily Mail when they published a story on this test, “… Last year, the UK’s Medical Research Council found that 53-year-olds who could stand on one leg for ten seconds with their eyes closed were the most likely to be fit and well in 13 years’ time. However, those who could manage only two seconds were three times as likely to die before the age of 66.”
I agree that in missing out the ‘why’ it did seem irrelevant, but eyes-closed balance practice is something I’m going to be adding to my other exercises.
I thought your website was a good and useful one … until I saw you quoting the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail is FULL of fake news. It’s a hateful organ of right wing, racist propaganda. I can’t trust anyone who actually quotes the Daily Mail as any form of expertise. So – I’m off to find a different site that cites real sources.
Sue, I’m sorry but your opinion in daily mail is completely unfounded. You have not been diligently researching the truth. Unfortunately you are relying on the fake news networks and are being brainwashed into communism. I pray that some day you will research the real truth. WE are about wanting America to be a peaceful and prosperous nation. WE ARE NOT based on race, political party or gender. WE are conservatives who are faith based, who love EVERYONE, WHO WORK HARD FOR OUR FAMILIES, WHO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES, WHO respect the office of the presidency, who DO NOT BELIEVE IN VIOLENCE OR ANY KIND OF DISGUSTING MARCH FULL OF HATEFUL SIGNAGE, HORRIBLE LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF CHILDREN, and filthy costumes. NOPE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT US! WE ARE PEOPLE OF PEACE, LOVE HOPE, ACCEPTANCE OF EVERYONE, PROSPERITY AND A GREAT AMERICA. ???????
As a former ballerina, we were instructed to focus on an object to maintain balance. We would also spot an object while turning to avoid being dizzy. This was not easy while performing on stage before a dark audience. EXIT signs were commonly used. Balancing with eyes closed is not normal and difficult. I question the use of this test.
it’s related to being a possible predictor of the possibility of a stroke … apparently.
Hey there, I was wondering if it would be easier to balance;
– On one leg with your eyes closed (with nothing in your hands) or,
– On one leg with your eyes closed (with a rod in your hands for stability)
Does it make a difference?
Hi, I was wondering how you would put the chart into a graph because I’m doing something related to this in my school for a science fair project.
I’m 71 and did 10 seconds after a few minutes practice. For me the trick is to imagine I’m still looking at a fixed point on the far wall. I could hold the position as long as I could keep the image of that point in my mind. Good exercise I’ll try it every day.
Thanks ! That helped me, I was horrible and I’m going to work on it.
it should be noted that people showing proprioception disorders linked to several diseases (Ehler-danlos couple speaking here) will have a lower score, because of flat or high-arched feet or more general proprioceptive issues (once our eyes are closed, our brain doesn’t “send” the right picture of our body, thus resulting in poor balance)…
Having said that, exercise has helped me getting a decent result despite my syndrome, whilst my SO, who never trains his balance, can barely stay 3 secs on one foot eyes closed.
Wishing to find more Eds-oriented exercises in the future to improve my posture 🙂 !
This is not an accurate test.
The fact is, most people do not stand on one leg with their eyes closed.
Therefore, to a great extent this is a learned behavior.
The more you do it, the better you will get at it.
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I am 49 and balanced for 1 minute with my eyes closed, well pleased but I am very fit!!
56 years old. can only do 2 to 3 seconds.
I do have arthritis, if that makes any difference.
Standing on the other leg is a lot easier 🙂
I have traveled the hill station on motorcycle for one week and after travel i am not fully able to balance my body.
Its four days passed after travel, i also have taken bed rest my body is relax now.
But still i am not able to balance my body.. any suggestions.
If you struggle to keep your balance for more than 6 seconds what does that mean? Im 34
I never fell and I still have my eyes closed.
Thanks for your helpful advice re the balancing. Still doing all my balancing exercises, but can’t manage it with my eyes closed, however as my eyesight is pretty good, and helps me maintain my balance, I don’t mind that I am unable to balance with closed eyes. Clearly I would be in trouble should my sight deteriorate and will have to think again.
I have been practising pilates for core abdominal strength as well as balance, yoga for flexibility and balance and using hand weights while exercising to improve my muscle tone, following all your excellent advice. Plus using a lot of the recipes you have put on line. Although I have osteoporosis, mainly from being on steroids for over 3 years (though now I’m off them) this hasn’t caused any problems and I am still able to take part in running events, 10k and half marathons.
Thanks again for the good advice and suggestions for improving bone density.
I have been trying to follow an alkaline diet as per your recommedations for the osteoporosis I have been diagnosed with. However I find it very confusing in regards to the difference between acid/alkaline charts. e.g I eat 2 bananas each day as a smoothy with some yoghurt and natural honey. Some charts indicate that this would be acidic due to the sugar overload from the bananas and honey. The difference in charts seems to revolve around whether the ash is measured in a laboratory at high temperatures whereby the sugar is burnt off and therefore register that particular food as alkaline ( presuming that sugar is aciidic). Other methods of measuring the ash don’t include the burnt off sugar and therefore register the same food as acidic. If you follow the principle of this last method, then you exclude most fruits that have sugar such as bananas, pineapple, apples etc. because they will be acidic to the body.
Question: which is the right method to follow in regards to determining the ash residue because it makes a huge difference to what foods one eats?……..also, what information is available to support the right choice
Thank you very much for considering my comment/question
theres a point at which those alkaline foods become acid @one is to overdo giving the digestive systrm too mich to digest=acid residue.
Should the test be done barefoot or with shoes on?
Makes you wonder how blind people adapt. The body is amazing, yea?!
Enjoying the information and the exercise.
I have just done the balancing test and can only do 3 seconds – I am 78. The difficulty comes by having the eyes closed.
I am taking letozole as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer. My oncologist has VERY STRONGLY recommended that I take Fosomax because I have a T-score of -.3 in my right femoral arm and letrozole lowers estrogen production, which lowers bone density.
Do I have a choice now that I am taking letrozole? Is it possible to build bones naturally while taking this drug?
Thank you very much for this excellent information and a reminder for
me to be consistent with my balance exercises. I’m doing tai-chi as well
as vestibular exercises for my vertigo. Yes, I was diagnosed with vertigo
last 2003 due to motot vehicle accident. Thank you for sharing this
exercises for our own benefits.
Have a wonderful day, Take care always. Marlene
I’m practiceing Tai Chi for my balance excercise.
I think the difficult part about the test is to remain balanced with your eyes closed. I do a lot of balancing exercises with yoga and pilates, involving standing on one leg and can balance really well for 2 or 3 minutes or more. Similarly at other exercise classes, where our stretching exercises involve several balance exercises. Unfortunately when when I close my eyes I soon lose my balance, no more than 4 or 5 seconds. I would imagine most people even with good balance would have difficulty balancing with their eyes closed.
The test score presented on this site as normative are very inflated; so don’t be surprised if you’re “balance older” than your normal age according to this. Here are the real average values for healthy people:
They range from 8-9s for the 18-39 group down to 1-2s for the 80-99 group.