Surprising as it may seem, balance is more important than you might think. In September of 2022 the British Journal of Sports Medicine published the results of a ten year study which involved more than 1,700 middle-aged participants. They concluded that not being able to balance was associated with an almost twofold increase in risk of death. 

Volunteers were asked to stand on one leg with their arms by their sides and keep their eyes looking straight ahead. They discovered that an inability to hold the position for 10 seconds was associated with an 84% heightened risk of death from any cause. Participants were allowed to try 3 times. Balance is quite difficult to explain. It involves several different systems in your body: muscles, nerves, eyesight, the inner ear and even the sensory system that lets you recognise where your body is in space.

What is balance? How did they test participants for balance? Why does losing your balance matter? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

First broadcast: 13/12/2022

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