By Rachel Nania – AARP –
A quick test that can tell you how well you are aging requires just one thing — or really, just one leg.
Researchers from Mayo Clinic have found how long a person can stand on one leg is a better measure of aging than changes in strength or gait (a person’s walking pattern), which are two other characteristics often used to assess healthy aging.
A group of 40 healthy adults over the age of 50 completed walking, balance, grip strength and knee strength tests for the study, published Oct. 23 in the journal PLOS ONE. Half of the study participants were under the age of 65, the others were 65 and older. For the balance tests, participants stood on both legs with their eyes open for 30 seconds, then on both legs with their eyes closed for 30 seconds. With eyes open, they also stood on their dominant leg only for 30 seconds, then switched to their nondominant leg only for another 30 seconds.
