Age-related changes in gait, balance, and strength parameters | Hacker News Reader

Age-related changes in gait, balance, and strength parameters

journals.plos.org

24 pointsdomofutu10 comments

> Conclusions: These findings suggest that the duration of unipedal stance can serve as a reliable and gender-independent measure of neuromuscular aging for both elderly male and female subjects.

So how long you stand on a single leg is a sort of biomarker.

Until you start training this specifically, then it probably loses its predictive power. If you work out, balance exercises are usually a part of your work out. Especially as you get older.

That’s an excellent example of Goodhart’s law!

"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure".

Plenty of old people practice tai chi just for balance. Falling is a major death Factor...

I do not understand the numbers I use for unipedal stance duration though. I had a 60 year old relative stand on hens non-dominant leg and hen gave up after a minute--so I'm not sure what 10s/s actually measures...

My mum brushes her teeth standing on one leg to keep herself young.

About 60 days ago I picked up rollerblading after never doing it (cycling and swimming was always my thing), my balance, core strength and flexibility (which started very poor) have gotten insanely better, I'm more aware of how to control very nuanced things about my posture and leg movement and which muscles I naturally favor, I had no idea how hard it was going to be and how high the skill ceiling was... and it's definitely a major cognitive boost as well, way more so than cycling even.

The strangest thing is that while I've never done yoga or other types of unloaded static movements, because I get extremely bored, it's very clear to me that rollerblading is activating all those things and an hour just blows by while skating.

Grip strength as a measure of aging has been known about for a long time. I was working on research with a gerontologist 10 years ago and he told me it was one of the most reliable measures he used in his practice for telling when someones muscles were deteriorating (sarcopenia). You can buy grip strength meters that are relatively inexpensive:

https://www.amazon.com/Handeful-Dynamometer-Measurement-Elec...

We built a Bluetooth enabled one for him to use in his research.

I wonder if this works in reverse too?

E.g. training balance specifically or even strength-balance (single leg deadlifts) would be a good way to squeeze a couple extra quality years / months? Or will you just be gaming the test ultimately ?

I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?

Like slowing down the aging of the brain or something like that

> I mean balance is a good skill to have, but could exceptional balance lead to some non-mechanical (less falls) longevity-inducing benefits?

I'd speculate that movement in general is conducive to better longevity. And I wouldn't underestimate the effect of "less falls". In my understanding, both injuries and lack of movement due to lifestyle begets even less mobility and other health problems.

And it's a steep downward spiral at an old age for an average person.

I know multiple „elderly“ (barely over seventy) people who lost all quality of life after falling and breaking a bone. Two crushed vertebrae, one broken hip. All of them essentially bedridden now. Training balance and strength can definitely lower the chances of that. IMO that’s enough benefit to recommend training balance specifically. Any links between fitness and lower chances of senility are just a bonus.

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