Balance and Longevity: the Strange Connection
According to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, your ability balance when you’re over 50 can affect your longevity
In 2022, the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported on a study that implied the connection between balance and longevity. They tested 1700 people ages 51-75 (majority men) in their ability to balance on one leg for 10 seconds and followed them for 12 years. People who couldn’t balance for a full 10 seconds on one leg had a higher mortality rate than people who could. While it was a small study and all studies like this have their limitations, it does suggest that balance isn’t something to ignore.
Age related falls cause concern, because when combined with osteoporosis, they can lead to broken bones. As we age, we heal much slower, so fractures can lead to a more sedentary life. It’s much harder to rebuild health than maintain it, so avoiding falls to begin with is key.
Practicing yoga improves your balance, as well as your leg strength, in a focused and intentional way. Each balance pose offers different challenges to your orientation and proprioception. There are simpler poses, like Tree pose/Vrksasana, as well as more challenging poses like Half Moon/Ardha Chandrasana that take you off your vertical axis. Each pose offers your body and brain a different challenge which can help improve your overall strength and balance to limit falls.
What is the 10 second test?
The test is simple. Stand on one leg without letting the other foot touch the ground or your standing leg. Hold for 10 seconds then try the other side. If your balance is solid on both legs, that bodes well for your longevity. If not, you can work on it, as it’s something you can improve.
What is balance?
Balance involves multiple systems, outside of the musculoskeletal system. You take in information through your eyes, including your ability to navigate through the world. Seeing is a huge part of being able to balance.
Your Dristi, or Gaze, is part of practicing yoga. Focusing your eyes on something stable allows your brain to orient itself to keep you upright (or upside down if you like). When I was in college, I took my glasses off during ballet class. I found that once I got contact lenses, and could actually see my spot, I could turn with more stability and control. Your sight matters when it comes to balance.
You also orient yourself with the vestibular system, or your inner ear. It senses gravity and motion of your body. Combined with your sight, your body is able to find vertical. Loose crystals or fluid in the inner ear can cause vertigo or temporary problems with balance.
The third part of balance is proprioception through your musculoskeletal and nervous systems, specifically the nerves in your muscles, skin, and joints. These three senses work together to keep you from falling over.
Control what you can
Your vision and your proprioception are somewhat within your control so focus on them. Practicing balance poses daily, or as often as possible, will prevent or at least slow the natural deterioration in balance as you age. Just like building muscle and bone, you can improve your balance with practice.
It takes a lot of work to stay healthy and active, but it’s better than the alternative! In my opinion anyway. Working balance into your regular routine makes it easier to keep it up.
Use it or lose it
Just like there is a natural decline in muscle and bone mass as you age, there is also a decline in your ability to balance. The more you practice, the slower the decline. Fractures only happen when you fall. The less you fall, the less likely you are to break something.
One suggestion I make to my yoga students, my acupuncture patients, and pretty much anyone who will listen to me, is to stand on one leg periodically through the day. Practice while brushing your teeth. Stand on one leg for a minute, then the other for a minute and you’re done brushing.
Find times when you are standing around to balance on one leg:
- Waiting on line at the grocery store.
- Watching your coffee drip into the pot.
- Waiting for water to boil.
- Watching TV (you might not be standing, but you could be).
- Talking on the phone (if you still do that).
Balance on the yoga mat
I love Tree pose/Vrksasana for its simplicity. It’s a vertical one-legged pose that is adaptable to almost every body. If you struggle with balance, practice against a wall until you feel stable on one leg. Then move away from the wall, maybe touching the wall with only a hand or finger. Eventually move away from the wall completely.
To practice Tree pose, start in Mountain pose/Tadasana, with equal balance on both feet. Press your feet firmly into the mat and lengthen your spine upward. Feel the muscles of your legs working, including your quads, glutes, and inner thighs.
Shift 80% of your weight onto your right foot, hovering your left heel off the floor. Try to feel the stability and activity of Mountain pose on just your right leg. Press your right foot into the floor and raise your left knee toward your chest. You can stay there and breathe, or rotate your left thigh to the left without moving the pelvis. Your thigh will aim on a diagonal to the left.
Place your left foot somewhere on your right inner leg. Press the foot against the leg, and more importantly, press your leg against your foot. This helps establish your midline and center of balance. You can place your hands on your hips, or together in front of your heart center in Anjali Mudra/Prayer hands. Hold for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the other leg.
Read more about moving from Mountain pose to Tree pose in the article below:
Moving From Two Feet To One: Building Balance
Join me on the mat online!
I love teaching online yoga to active adults over 50. I am passionate about sharing my yoga wisdom with you to support your longevity! Online yoga makes classes accessible, as your yoga studio is your living room, bedroom, study, or any space that you have for your mat. You can join classes live over Zoom, or on demand whenever your schedule allows.
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Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to my Substack blog called “Yoga Living 50 and Beyond” and get each of my blog posts delivered straight to your inbox. Aging isn’t easy, and all the messages out there say we shouldn’t. I disagree. I write about embracing aging through the lens of yoga, and how to apply your yoga practice to your life. What you practice on the mat you take with you off the mat. Click the button below to become a free or paid subscriber. I appreciate the support, whatever that looks like.~Janine
I don’t always remember put this graphic in, but it’s always true. All of my essays are 100% written by me, not AI. They are my thoughts, my words, and my experiences from over 30 years of practicing and teaching yoga. Thanks for reading! 💜 Janine
