Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds? Inability to maintain balance is a warning sign
Can't you keep your balance? Definitely don't ignore it!
A few days ago, you may have picked up the news that Christina Applegate (Kelly from the sitcom Married to Commitment) is struggling with increasingly serious health problems caused by multiple sclerosis. In one of her first interviews on the subject , she herself admitted that she had initially ignored the symptoms of the disease, while musculoskeletal problems and the inability to keep her balance had plagued her for quite a long time. Simply put, the body can send outward signals that something is wrong, but one must listen and then act accordingly. "You may have always been able to stand on one foot when putting on your shoes, but at some point you stopped. Maybe you used to get out of the bath and step on the wet and slippery floor, but now you have to hold on to something. It's easy to overlook symptoms like these, or simply attribute them to ageing," explains Anna Lowe, an expert in physical activity and healthy ageing. Loss of balance is therefore something that can be noticed, but one must focus on the matter at hand. So what all can (not) keeping your balance be an indication of?
Balance as a complex interplay of the whole body
On a purely technical level, balance is a complex interaction of several body systems: from muscles, nerves and vision to the inner ear and the sensory system that allows one to detect where the body touches the ground. We are not born with the art of balance, but we also do not learn it in the same way that we learn, say, to speak. In fact, it is a skill that we acquire soon after birth, and over time - as we grow older (or with illness) - we gradually lose it again. Of course, there are many definitions of balance, but ultimately they don't matter as much as the fact that lack of balance is generally associated with many different serious health problems.
For example, the inability to maintain balance is an indicator of a twofold increase in the risk of death, according to a time-series study (data collection was conducted over a 10-year period) of 1,700 middle-aged participants. Specifically, the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds (with the other leg pressed against it, arms folded alongside the body and eyes fixed straight ahead) in any of the three trials was associated with an 84% increased risk of death from any cause. About one in five participants failed this test - and the number increased with increasing age.
Of course, the relationship between the ability to stand on one leg and health is quite complicated, but at the base level, we can work with the thesis that, given the many bodily systems involved in the process of maintaining balance, it is likely to be a way to avoid injuries and falls. Yet, according to the World Health Organization, nearly 700,000 people worldwide die each year as a result of falls (and falls are the second leading cause of death from unintentional injury), and another 37 million falls are so serious that they result in either disability or subsequent premature death. Of course, falls can also be caused by various diseases, but many need not be. Yet they are caused by conditions that cannot be treated in any other way, even though they can have fatal consequences.
Zdroj: Giphy
What all can balance problems mean?
There are many health reasons why a person may begin to lose the ability to maintain balance. Common ones include difficulties with the inner ear (which can be related to Meniere's disease), changes in blood circulation or head and neck injuries. The condition may also be related to low blood sugar, dehydration or medication. More serious diseases cannot be overlooked - Alzheimer's disease (which is actually a disease of the nervous system), Parkinson's disease and the aforementioned multiple sclerosis. It is therefore always advisable, if the problems are not just a one-off, to seek medical advice and consult a doctor.
How to improve balance?
But leaving aside the disturbance of balance due to specific health problems, anyone can start working on maintaining balance. Well, not only can, but definitely should. Walking or running won't help. According to experts, middle age is a good time to start sports that involve bending the legs at the knees and ankles, namely skiing, skating, inline skating, etc. Since these are not exactly sports suitable for the older generation, another option is Tai Chi. Although tai-chi is not a demanding aerobic exercise, studies have shown that after just two months, adults have improved motor competences such as getting up from a chair or walking, but also a reduced fear of falling. There is a whole range of activities that are beneficial for improving balance and also movement capacity, depending on one's own interests and abilities. In any case, however, it is essential to start any of the activities before it is really necessary.
