An Orthopedic Surgeon’s No. 1 Test of Balance and Mobility for Healthy Aging

Changes to the ways we move is a typical sign of aging. Physical strength changes, the way we walk might look different and we’ll likely notice a difference in our balance, too, according to the National Institute on Aging. Slowing those changes and working to maintain mobility is critical to healthy aging. It means fewer falls, a reduced likelihood of disability and the chance to continue aging independently. In fact, aging adults who preserved their mobility were less likely to develop disease and end up hospitalized, and had a better quality of life, adds the NIA. There’s one move in particular that can help to ensure your future is a mobile one. Test your balance with this expert-approved test and see how you fare. Fitness Tip of the Day: Try the Y-Balance Test to Check Your Balance and Mobility Asses your mobility, strength and balance with the Y-balance test, says Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, an orthopedic surgeon and co-author of “The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan.” There’s no need for any fancy equipment or special skills. Just you and your balance. Why It Matters Mobility, strength and balance, says Wittstein, are three factors “important for preventing falls, and falls prevent fractures.” The Y-balance test calls on you to challenge your lower body mobility, particularly in your hips, ankles and knees. Additionally, she says, it engages the thighs, glutes, hip muscles and the core. By keeping these body parts strong and agile, you’ll maintain bone health and your ability to live and move about on your own. Your balance will improve, too, reducing your likelihood of falling, which is the leading cause of injury in those 65 years old and above, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to Get Started Start by standing on your left leg, says Wittstein. Elevate and extend your right leg in front of you. Reach it forward as far as you can. Then, swing that same leg behind you and extend it at an angle to your right. After that, swing it behind your standing leg to extend it at an angle to your left. You will have drawn a “Y” with your foot. Then, return to your standing position and repeat on the other side. “If that’s too difficult, you can do this with a smaller movement,” says Wittstein. Instead of keeping your right leg elevated, tap your toe to the ground as you make the “Y” formation with your legs. Simplify the Y-balance test even more by extending your right leg to tap it in front of you before returning to a standing position. Then tap it at the first angle behind you and return to standing position. Then tap it a final time while crossing your right leg behind your left and return to standing position. TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.