Balance is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor in healthy aging and a predictor of longevity, alongside traditional fitness components like cardio, strength training, and stretching. Research indicates that maintaining good balance can significantly impact an individual’s health span and lifespan.
A 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that participants aged 51 to 75 who could not stand on one leg for at least 10 seconds with eyes open had an 84% higher risk of death within the subsequent decade. Furthermore, a 2024 Mayo Clinic study identified the duration an individual can maintain balance on one leg as the most reliable determinant of aging, surpassing other parameters such as strength and gait.
Mike Teater, director of balance education for Fyzical, a national network of clinics specializing in balance and dizziness, states that balance is a 100% predictor of longevity. He explains that poor balance can initiate a domino effect: falls lead to injury, which decreases mobility, confidence, and activity. This, in turn, increases the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, and can contribute to social isolation, depression, and declining mental health and cognition, including dementia.
Injurious falls among older adults represent a national public health crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in four adults in the U.S. aged 65 or older falls annually, affecting approximately 14 million people in 2020. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in older adults, with the fall death rate rising about 4.1% annually from 1999 to 2020. In 2024, over 43,000 adults over 65 died from a fall. The estimated cost to the U.S. healthcare system related to falls is about $80 billion annually.
Kristal M. Riska, a Duke University balance researcher and president of the American Balance Society, emphasizes that individuals have more control over their balance than commonly perceived. While age-related changes do occur, interventions are possible. Over recent decades, there has been a push among doctors and researchers to improve the detection of balance impairment and falls prevention, with various multifaceted programs available to enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and coordination.
Balance is important at any age, not just for older adults. It helps younger individuals and athletes optimize athletic performance, prevent sports-related injuries, and maintain fitness. It is also integral to strength training, as muscle supports stability and mobility. A balanced musculoskeletal system helps prevent abnormal movement patterns that can lead to chronic injuries, even in non-athletes, particularly for those in occupations requiring significant movement like delivery drivers, teachers, caregivers, and food industry servers.
Exercise physiologist Rachelle Reed, head of scientific research at Therabody, notes that good movement quality and well-maintained neuromuscular feedback, which is balance, contribute to resilience against needless injuries from actions like twisting too fast or misjudging reach. Kimberly M. Burbank, a UCLA Health sports medicine physician, describes balance as a nuanced mix of the body’s sensory systems: the ocular system (sight), the gravity-dependent vestibular system (inner ear), and proprioception (awareness of body in space). She likens balance training to brain training because it requires significant coordination and different brain processing centers to work together effectively.
Balance naturally diminishes faster than strength with age as eyesight, sense of touch, strength, and vestibular systems decline. Indicators of declining balance include avoiding outdoor excursions, frequently reaching for walls or furniture for support, feeling unsteady, or being overly concerned with falling. Therefore, starting balance training early and continuing it throughout life is important for maintaining it longer.
Balance can be improved through various approaches. Surfing is beneficial for core strength and balance, while yoga helps with mobility and proprioception. For older adults, physical therapists often recommend the low-impact Otago Exercise Program, which includes 17 progressive strength and balance exercises combined with a walking plan. Targeted balance exercises should be added to a regular workout routine, even if they are short, such as five one-minute exercises three to four times a week. Simple activities like balancing on one leg during commercial breaks or walking heel-to-toe can retrain the neuromuscular system, with concrete improvements potentially noticeable within three to six months.
