The 10-second balance test, twice a day

While the kettle boils or the coffee brews, stand on one leg. Aim for 10 seconds. Then the other side.

A 2022 study followed adults aged 51 to 75. Those who could not hold a 10-second one-leg stand had nearly double the all-cause mortality rate over the next 7 years compared to those who could.

Hold the counter lightly if you are new to this. Let go for a second, then two, then ten. Build slowly.

Two minutes of practice a day, twice a day, is enough to move the needle on balance, the single biggest predictor of independence in your 70s and 80s.