How long can you stand on one leg with your eyes closed? It’s a balance test; what you think you can do and what you can do are probably two different things. After recording myself with my phone and looking like I was possessed and fighting unseen demons, I filmed 6 different people trying this after yoga. The young and steady under 30, found it harder than they thought. The slightly older were a bit befuddled and frustrated. To quote Joni Mitchel, …“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” This week, consider this challenge, take your phone and record yourself balancing. After all, this blog is Balancing on Unstable Surfaces (BOUS.)
The test is over as soon as you shift your planted foot or put your raised foot down on the ground. Best of three. Then repeat, with your eyes closed. You will be dismayed by how quickly you start to fall over. Here are the targets that different age groups should be able to manage:
Under 40: 45 seconds with eyes open, 15 seconds with eyes closed.
Dr Michael Mosley: Take the balance challenge to help you live longer
Aged 40-49: 42 seconds open, 13 seconds closed.
Aged 50-59: 41 seconds open, 8 seconds closed.
Aged 60-69: 32 seconds open, 4 seconds closed.
Aged 70-79: 22 seconds open, 3 seconds closed.
1 Per my age group, I made 4 seconds before hilarity ensued. Research says I can improve, let’s see what happens.
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 