Can you balance on one foot for 10 seconds?
Go on.. try it…
How did you do?
Now close your eyes while you do it…
Now put your hands on top of your head as well…
Apparently the ability to balance on one foot points to a longer life expectancy and is an indicator of the status of your overall health, according to a recent Brazilian study published in the British journal of sports medicine.
The study findings were not such good news if you are unable to balance for at least 10 seconds – yet we shan’t dwell on the negative details here, rather let’s bring you the positivity of a solution, because the good news is you can develop the skill.
Practice those 3 little exercises at the top of this article on a daily basis, along with other balance routines to develop proprioception and your brain-to-muscle memory synapses and you will be doing yourself a world of good, it’s well worth taking the time to do these daily balance challenges whilst keep an eye on your own health at the same time.
I have always included some form of balance work in my classes, much to the dismay of some of my clients, yet I continue my campaign as I know the importance of being able to balance from a practical physiological point of view, meaning if you have good balance you are less likely to suffer accidents and falls, which if they happen in later life can be absolutely devastating, so you could see this skill as a form of damage limitation.
Now I have even more evidence, when my clients question why we do these balance drills, I can tell them it’s going to prolong their life – real facts!
One last challenge – stand on one foot, stretch your arms out to the side and lean forward like you’re pretending to fly, hold for at least 10 seconds – but try for 30! Now do the other side…
– This article has been published in the August edition of Life Magazines – http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk