{"id":855189,"date":"2026-09-21T07:30:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T07:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/855189\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T07:30:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T07:30:17","slug":"people-in-their-70s-who-passed-a-30-second-test-had-a-61-lower-chance-of-dying-in-7-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/855189\/","title":{"rendered":"People in their 70s who passed a 30-second test had a 61% lower chance of dying in 7 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting older<\/a>\u2026 if you\u2019re lucky, it\u2019s going to happen. And the internet loves to make aging sound like a full-time job. Lift heavy! Know your macros! Expose yourself to a precise dose of sunshine at a prescribed time! Don\u2019t forget to add a complicated\u00a0supplement stack<\/a>\u00a0on top of your current prescription medications if you want to ward off a litany of maladies.\u00a0\u00a0And, oh, you\u2019re going to need a much bigger pill storage case.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who knew getting organized about getting older would steal away so much time?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Researchers in Taiwan<\/a>\u00a0tracked more than 13,000 adults 65 and older for a median of seven years. Many had common pre-existing conditions that can present as we age, like high blood pressure. Researchers put this group through a battery of quick, low-tech fitness tests. No treadmills, lab coats, or fancy machines required.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The results,\u00a0published in JAMA Network Open<\/a>, found that the people who performed best on these tests dramatically increased their life expectancy. And it didn\u2019t require them getting shredded like lettuce either. It all starts with trying to stand on one leg for 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

This one-leg stance turned out to be a powerful clue\u00a0<\/p>\n

Participants worked through a lineup of seven total tests covering balance, strength, endurance, and flexibility. Those who landed in the top fifth had about\u00a061% lower risk of dying over the following seven years compared to those in the bottom fifth<\/a>. The core test came when participants were asked to hold a one-leg stance with their eyes open for up to 30 seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Bob Baravarian<\/a>\u00a0told Upworthy, \u201cFalls are one of the most common end-of-life issues.\u00a0Good balance and muscle strength lead to good cardiovascular and cognitive health.\u201d By concentrating more of your fitness time on balance and core exercises, you can help stave off these types of declines and keep walking for longer.<\/p>\n

Sure, heart disease, diabetes, and low blood pressure are still issues, but they can be mitigated to a degree if you\u2019re able to stay mobile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why functional movement helps adults thrive despite diagnosis<\/p>\n

So what types of movements can you add to your fitness routine to help maintain mobility?\u00a0Dr. Jamie Bovay, a physical therapist with Denver\u2019s KinetikChain<\/a>, shared with Upworthy some solid steps to take in the right direction. \u201cDo these for just five minutes a day to build the physical durability required to keep your independence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. The Tandem Balance Hold (Heel-to-Toe Standing)<\/p>\n

Stand near a kitchen counter for safety. Place your right foot directly in front of your left foot, so your right heel is touching your left toes (like you\u2019re walking a tightrope). Look straight ahead, take your hands off the counter, and try to hold still for 30 seconds. After that, switch feet.<\/p>\n

This exercise forces your ankles and hips to make micro-adjustments continuously.\u00a0\u00a0Now you\u2019re retraining the small stabilizer muscles that keep you steady on uneven ground.<\/p>\n

2. Single-Leg Clock Reaches<\/p>\n

Stand on your left leg with a slight bend in your knee. Imagine you\u2019re standing in the center of a clock face. Tap your right foot out to 12 o\u2019clock, bring it back to center, tap it to 3 o\u2019clock, back to center, and tap to 6 o\u2019clock. Repeat 3 times, then switch legs.<\/p>\n

This movement mimics what happens as you turn when walking. It forces your standing leg to stabilize your hip while your weight shifts around it.<\/p>\n

3. Figure-8 Line Walks<\/p>\n

Pick a clear space. Now, visualize a large figure-8 on the floor, about 6 to 8 feet long. Walk the pattern smoothly, making tight turns around the loops. Focus on keeping your stride even and your eyes looking forward, not glued to your feet.<\/p>\n

This seemingly simple movement challenges your vestibular, or inner ear, system. If you can train your body to process direction changes, you can stay mobile longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the genuinely hopeful part. Many of the people in this study were living with real health issues: diabetes, high blood pressure, you name it. Fitness wasn\u2019t reserved for the picture of perfect health. It was about function: could you catch yourself before a stumble? Could you get up off the couch without help? Could you keep your legs steady under you? With these goals in mind, consistently engaging in the exercises above can help improve mobility and, as a result, increase your chances of securing additional years of quality life.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getting older\u2026 if you\u2019re lucky, it\u2019s going to happen. And the internet loves to make aging sound like…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":855190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97,357571,361090,361091],"class_list":["post-855189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-how-to-human","tag-patrick-hamilton","tag-thriving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=855189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/855190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=855189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=855189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=855189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}