People sometimes ask, "How can I find out how long I'll live? No one can really answer this question. Not even fortune tellers or astrologers…
However, scientists have found a way to predict how long a person will live without medical tests or examinations.
Flexibilityand good coordination are important indicators of a person's physical health. They tell us about the condition of muscles and joints, heart and lungs.
With that in mind, scientists have found that a simple test can tell us about your chances of longevity.
This test, of course, is not as much fun as going to the fortune teller.
However, its effectiveness has been proven by science.
Everyone knows the test that officers sometimes use to test drivers for sobriety – to walk a few steps along an imaginary straight line and touch your nose with your index finger. Its meaning is simple – a drunk person has impaired coordination of movements, so it is difficult to control the body and keep the balance.
Such changes happen to a person not only with the consumption of alcohol, but also with age. Therefore, the inability to "balance" is one of the alarming markers, indicating serious problems in the body.
This is the conclusion reached by a group of scientists from five countries. For 12 years, they conducted a study examining the relationship between mortality and the ability to maintain balance. It turned out that one simple test, or rather the inability to perform it, can predict death for the next 10 years in middle-aged and elderly people.
What is this test about?
It is a balance test or also called the flamingo test.
To perform this test, assume the "flamingo" pose by standing on one leg, with the other leg flexed at the knee and the foot of this leg held close to the buttocks, with your hands along your torso, and looking straight ahead. Hold this pose for at least 10 seconds. It is allowed to make up to three attempts on each leg.
According to the experts, flamingo balance test can warn of an increased risk of stroke and even death from any cause.
During the study, scientists noticed that the inability to stand on one leg increased with age. People who did not take the test tended to have poorer health than those who did. At the same time, most of this group was diagnosed with obesity, cardiovascular disease and unhealthy blood cholesterol levels. In addition, those who did not take the test were 3 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
After analyzing factors such as age, gender, body mass index, heart function, presence or absence of hypertension and diabetes, and cholesterol levels, the researchers concluded that participants who could not stand on one leg had a 1.84 times higher risk of dying within 10 years than those who passed the test.
The good news is that it's never too late to improve your balance with special exercises. Even a few minutes a day, at home or at the gym, can make all the difference.
In one of my next articles, I'll share with you some low-level exercises that will help you to balance your body.
Do you think you can stand in the flamingo pose for 10 seconds?
If so, there is nothing wrong with your health. That is a scientific conclusion.
Keep in touch!