Try standing on one leg for as long as you can. Close your eyes, which makes it tougher and now see how long you can remain upright without tumbling over. This one might need a bit of repetition. The ability to stand up and move forward without stumbling or lurching to the side is an activity we take for granted. Sadly, as we age this capacity diminishes with damaging sometimes calamitous consequences. A 50-year-old can stand on one leg for 40 seconds and this drops to 20 for a 70-year-old and 10 by the time we reach the age of 80. If this decline happens earlier and more precipitously than expected premature ageing might be setting in. Falling over is a sign of neurodegeneration which manifests long before the other indicators of dementia rear their distressing heads.
Conversely improving our balance with regular activities like heel toe walking or simply standing on one leg for extended periods of time enhances attention, memory, spatial orientation, and overall cognition. In other words challenging our brains might even help to abort cognitive decline. Integrating these activities into our daily patterns for example when we brush our teeth, shave or cook will cement these benefits into our higher centres further promoting mental agility. Tai chi, yoga and pilates are exercise routines that also enhance balance-the more we engage the less the likelihood of succumbing to those vulnerabilities that have the power to disable us as we age.
