What a 10-Second Balance Test Can (and Can’t) Tell Us About Longevity

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A recent study found that standing on one leg for 10 seconds was independently associated with survival and that those unable to perform this test had double the usual risk of premature death. This relationship is an association and not causal – meaning, the test cannot predict when someone will die. It does, however, highlight the importance of monitoring and maintaining balance as we age. Good balance later in life can lower fall risk and help maintain independence, mobility, functional abilities, and overall quality of life.

According to Corey Rovzar, an expert in balance a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the School of Medicine, balance is often overlooked in most people’s exercise regimes and is not regularly included in routine health checks for middle-aged and older adults. This study highlights the importance of monitoring and maintaining balance as you age since balance tends to decline most rapidly beginning in your 60s – and this decline can lead to faulty biomechanics and/or falls. The good news is that you can improve your balance through training! This could be as simple as standing on one leg while you brush your teeth, performing single-leg exercises, or engaging in activities such as tai chi and yoga. Strength training is also important, especially for the lower body, because stronger muscles allow you to have greater stability as you move and to move at an ideal speed. The key to any exercise program is consistency – find something that you enjoy and stick with it!

By: Corey Rovzar, PhD

Sources:

  1. Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals
What Does Grip Strength Indicate About Your Health?

What Does Grip Strength Indicate About Your Health?

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What Does Grip Strength Indicate About Your Health?

Your future lies in the palm of your hand… kind of. A popular topic in longevity and exercise science involves the association between grip strength and life span, but what exactly are people talking about? Two recent studies describing the relevance of grip strength in the field have started to analyze what information one’s grip strength actually provides. “Grip strength is inversely associates with DNA methylation age acceleration” covers cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between hand grip strength and three different clock models to describe the pace of one’s aging in American adults over the age of 50 years old. Essentially, these three different clocks take in information from a DNA methylation sample, and output a relative estimate of how quickly someone is aging based on the different health outcome risk biomarkers they are entrained on. As it pertains to grip strength, the three age-acceleration clocks looked at in the study found significant associations to suggest that greater grip strength can help one protect their body from physically aging faster. These clocks could be useful tools in future clinical applications to begin to better understand the needs of different patients later in life. However, there is still work left to be done as the sample of this study may not be representative of the diverse middle and older aged populations in the larger United States or on a global scale. When reading information from the study above, it can also be easy to believe that increasing the amount of grip-strength exercises you’re doing will help you slow down how fast you’re aging and live longer, which is not exactly the case. Another study from the Journal for Clinical Interventions in Aging, reviews the literature to suggest how grip strength’s relevance to aging science may be due to its associations with total body strength, bone density, reduced risk of falls and fractures, etc. Knowing that there is ample research on the protective effects of these measurements on later-in-life life expectancy, grip strength may be a starting place to begin to clinically understand risks the potential mobility and functionality risks for some patients.

 

To read the full article from the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle, follow this link: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13110

To read the full article from the Journal for Clinical Interventions in Aging, follow this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6778477/.

 

By: Carly Mae Smith

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Speeding Up Your Daily Walk Could Have Big Benefits – The New York Times

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“Activity tracker data is going to be better than self-reported data,” said Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports physician at Stanford University, who was not involved in the study. “We know that people’s ability to self-report is flawed,” often because people don’t accurately remember how much exercise they did in a day or week.

People Who Do Strength Training Live Longer

People Who Do Strength Training Live Longer — and Better

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A consensus is building among experts that both strength training and cardio‌ are important for longevity.

How To Tell The Difference Between Soreness And Injury After A Workout – HuffPost

How To Tell The Difference Between Soreness And Injury After A Workout – HuffPost

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” One red flag is swelling around a joint after a workout, according to Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports medicine physician at Stanford Health Care.”

Any stiffness around joints in the knees, hips, ankles or lower back is also concerning, he said, while adding that stiffness around a muscle you worked out is normal.

You should take notice if joint or muscle stiffness is ever “impairing your ability to walk,” Fredericson said. If that’s the case, you should get in touch with your doctor.

5 Foam Rolling Exercises for Skeptics

5 Foam Rolling Exercises for Skeptics – The New York Times

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“If you do decide to try foam rolling, Dr. Michael Fredericson, professor of sports medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine, suggested a stiff roller.”

6 Ways to Level Up Your Daily Walk

6 Ways to Level Up Your Daily Walk – The New York Times

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“A good set of insoles will help prevent something called overpronation, said Dr. Michael Fredericson, a professor of orthopedics at Stanford University. Pronation is when the foot rolls inward, usually caused by an arch that is not strong enough to properly support the body’s weight. Those with flatter feet are more likely to experience it.

Products from brands like Superfeet and SOLE can counteract the most common forms of pronation by supporting the center of a foot’s arch Dr. Fredericson said. But if you have a more complex issue, he added, a custom orthotic might be needed.”

The Impact of Supplements on Sports Performance for the Trained Athlete

The Impact of Supplements on Sports Performance for the Trained Athlete: A Critical Analysis

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Elite athletes often use nutritional supplements to improve performance and gain competitive advantage. The prevalence of nutrient supplementation ranges from 40% to 100% among trained athletes, yet few athletes have a trusted source of information for their supplement decisions and expected results. This critical analysis review evaluates systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized control trials, and crossover trials investigating commonly used supplements in sport: caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine (β-alanine), branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), and dietary nitrates. By reviewing these supplements’ mechanisms, evidence relating directly to improving sports performance, and ideal dosing strategies, we provide a reference for athletes and medical staff to personalize supplementation strategies.

6 Ways to Level Up Your Daily Walk

6 Ways to Level Up Your Daily Walk – The New York Times

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Experts say Americans are taking more walks than before the pandemic. Here are some ways to turn your neighborhood stroll in to an exciting workout.

Well Ankle Exercises

How to Avoid (and Fix) a Bum Ankle – The New York Times

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“The biggest reason people have recurrent ankle sprains is that they never do rehabilitation,” said Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports physician at Stanford University.