Can You Stand On One Leg?
You’ve heard me talk about longevity and healthspan. Longevity is how long you’ll live. Healthspan is how WELL you’ll live. My goal is for you to live a long, healthy, happy life! There are tests that identify specific markers related to potential chronic disease risks - think of cholesterol, glucose, and the inflammatory hsCRP. What about other types of tests? It turns out, there are some physical tests that are related to longevity and your health.
How Strong Is Your Grip?
Grip strength has long been used as a marker of health in aging. Can you open up a jar of pickles or peanut butter without help? If you were to hang on the monkey bars with your kids, can you? Do you have the strength? How about a pull-up? Can you pick up something heavy with one hand and carry it - such as a kettlebell, a full-load of grocery bags, or a baby carrier?
This and other studies say your grip strength is an indicator of muscle strength (in the forearms) and endurance. Unfortunately, this can decline as you age so it’s important you PRACTICE keeping your grip strength up regularly.
How’s Your Gait?
The gait of your walk is another test doctors use to evaluate your health. Do you find yourself shuffling? How’s your balance when walking? Do you find yourself tripping? According to this study, “Gait speed has been shown to decline with age, especially after age 65. Slow walking is associated with functional decline and poorer physical health.” Ouch!
You hear all the time that humans need to WALK (if you can) and get those steps in. The more immobile we are as adults, the harder it is on our health.
Can You Do The Sit-Rise Test?
This is a big one! You can easily do it at home and it’s used to assess your agility, flexibility, core and leg strength. I like to start standing. Then without assistance, lower to the ground sitting cross-legged. Again, without help or pushing off the floor, stand up. The great thing is, you can practice this using help until over time, you become stronger and more flexible!
Can You Stand On One Leg?
Picture yourself as a flamingo. Can you stand on one leg for 10 or more seconds without having to hold on to anything? Now close your eyes. How long can you continue to stand on your leg? Then switch legs. Usually, one leg is easier than the other.
Again, this study explains the importance of balance as you age! Naturally, I immediately stood up from desk and did the one leg test after reading the article. I sway a little more on my left leg (non-dominant) than my right leg (dominant). However, I can still stand on one leg to put on my tennis shoe and tie the laces with my foot in the air. Success!!
If you’re reading this thinking, “no way” then you know what you have to do! Time to work on your grip, gait, sit-rise and standing on one leg. Remember, I want your healthspan to match your lifespan! I want you to be able to grip your suitcase and put it in the overhead bin, grab several bags of groceries and carry them into the house, lift a puppy or grandchild with ease, and balance on one leg like a flamingo.