To age well, doctors say we should remember the importance of good balance. It matters when you wash yourself, put clothing on and, generally, move around in your home and elsewhere. As we age, good balance permits us to live more independently. 

医生说，要健康地老去，我们应该记住良好平衡的重要性。您何时洗澡、穿衣服以及在家中和其他地方四处走动都很重要。随着年龄的增长，良好的平衡使我们能够更独立地生活。 

Difficulties with balance can be dangerous. The United States Centers for Disease Control reports that three million older people in America seek medical care for fall-related injuries each year. But we can prevent some falls, said Roopa Anmolsingh. She is a geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in treating old people. She is also the creator of the balance class program at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She said that "Some people have a misconception that part of getting old is, you're going to fall. That's not true. You can control how you fall, or if you fall." 

平衡困难可能很危险。美国疾病控制中心报告称，美国每年有 300 万老年人因跌倒受伤而寻求医疗护理。但我们可以防止一些跌倒，鲁帕·安莫辛格说。她是一名老年科医生，专门治疗老年人的医生。她也是俄亥俄州克利夫兰诊所平衡课程项目的创始人。她说：“有些人有一种误解，认为变老的一部分就是你会跌倒。但事实并非如此。你可以控制自己如何跌倒，或者是否跌倒。” 

To prevent falls, geriatricians say people should start asking themselves questions about their balance as early as 50 years old. Here are the questions: 

老年病学家表示，为了防止跌倒，人们早在 50 岁时就应该开始问自己有关平衡能力的问题。以下是问题：

If you feel unsteady, or lose balance, from time to time, ask your doctor to check all your body systems that can affect balance. Along with muscle and bone problems, unsteadiness can also result from poor blood pressure, inner-ear problems, nervous system issues and more. 

如果您时不时感到不稳定或失去平衡，请要求医生检查所有可能影响平衡的身体系统。除了肌肉和骨骼问题之外，血压不佳、内耳问题、神经系统问题等也可能导致不稳定。 

Maybe you do not have unsteadiness but wonder about your skill at balancing. You can test yourself easily and at home to find out if you need any medical intervention. 

也许您并没有不稳定，但想知道自己的平衡能力。您可以在家轻松地进行自我测试，以确定是否需要任何医疗干预。 

Stand next to a wall or something that can provide support if needed. Raise one leg. Can you hold that position for 10 seconds? Now try the other leg. If you can stand on each leg alone for 10 seconds, you should be fine, said Greg W. Hartley, a professor of physical therapy specializing in geriatrics at the University of Miami in Florida. 

如果需要，请站在墙边或可以提供支撑的物体旁边。抬起一条腿。你能保持这个姿势10秒钟吗？现在尝试另一条腿。佛罗里达州迈阿密大学老年医学专业物理治疗教授格雷格·W·哈特利 (Greg W. Hartley) 表示，如果你能单条腿站立 10 秒钟，那就没什么问题了。