3 Signs Your ‘Balance Age’ Is Too High (And How To Lower It)

You might already know that strength training is one of the best activities we can engage in as we age, while aerobic training like jogging, walking, and swimming is also linked to better heart health in our later years.

In fact, it seems the best longevity results come from a combination of exercise types.

Still, when it comes to healthy ageing, the University of Strathclyde has called a type of movement called balance training “neglected”. It can reduce the risk of falls and related fractures, which are most common among those over 65; inconveniently, though, our balance “can deteriorate” over time.

Steven Powell, director of training and education at Power Plate, said: “A lot of people assume [balance loss] is simply what getting older feels like, but that’s not necessarily true.

“In many cases it’s a sign that the systems responsible for keeping you upright, your muscles, joints and nervous system, aren’t being challenged often enough.”

Here, we asked Powell and Iain Murray, managing director at Power Plate, how to tell if your “balance age” is higher than it should be.

Murray told us that you might not notice a sudden decrease in balance – but that doesn’t necessarily mean your “balance age” hasn’t risen.

“Instead of asking whether your balance is getting worse, ask yourself whether you’ve… started editing your life around your body. Have you stopped booking active holidays?” he asked.

“Do you let someone else lift the heavy suitcase? Are you turning down long walks because you’ll ‘pay for it tomorrow’? Those are often much more meaningful signs that your balance age and movement quality aren’t where they could be.”

For his part, Powell told us, “Your balance age isn’t something you can measure with a single number, but it is something you can spot through how your body behaves. One of the biggest signs is that you’ve started thinking about movements that used to happen automatically.

“Maybe you hesitate before stepping off a kerb, instinctively reach for a handrail, or feel less stable getting dressed while standing on one leg. Those are all clues that your body’s ability to react quickly and efficiently may not be where it once was.”

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how the amount of time you can stand on one leg for could say a lot about your biological age.

Murray said, “The ability to move confidently underpins almost everything we enjoy, from travelling and socialising to playing with grandchildren or simply feeling independent.

“When that confidence starts to fade, people often accept it as an inevitable part of ageing, when in reality it’s usually a signal that they’ve stopped investing in one of the most important aspects of their long-term health” – balance.

And Powell added that as we age, “we lose lower body power, the ability to generate force quickly, faster than we lose muscle mass, and that can have a bigger impact on how confident and stable we feel in everyday life.”

If you think your balance age might be too high, Murray and Powell say there’s some good news: it’s not set in stone.

Powell told us, “The body is remarkably adaptable when you give it the right stimulus. Exercises that build lower body strength and power, improve mobility, and challenge your stability all encourage your brain and muscles to communicate more efficiently”.

Some experts think that squats provide a great full-body workout to help slow the signs of ageing, though other exercises that can help include:

• Calf raises,
• Knee raises,
• Standing with your eyes closed,
• Tai chi,
• Yoga,
• Walking backwards or sideways,
• Using a wobble board,
• Dancing,
• Single-leg training,
• Standing from a seated position.

The NHS recommends trying stabilising movements like these at least twice a week.

Powell ended, “You don’t need to train like an athlete. A few minutes of purposeful movement, done consistently, can make a real difference to how confidently you move through everyday life.

“The earlier you start paying attention to your balance, the easier it is to stay ahead of the decline rather than trying to reverse it later.”