How long can you stand like a flamingo?

Posted on in Ipswich and East Suffolk News, North East Essex News, West Suffolk News

It might sound like an odd question, but your answer to the above question could tell you a lot about your general health and fitness.

You should be able to stand on one leg continuously for 43 seconds if you’re aged between 18 and 39, and for 40 seconds if you’re aged between 40 and 49.

Perhaps understandably, as you get older, the length of time you should be able to ‘make like a flamingo’ diminishes even more.

On average it’s 37 seconds if you’re 50 to 59, 30 seconds if you’re 60 to 69, between 18 and 19 seconds if you’re aged 70 to 79, and a little over five seconds if you’re over 80.

This summer, to raise awareness of the impact ageing has on strength, balancing and agility, clinicians in Suffolk and north east Essex are asking people of all ages to see how long they can stand on one leg.

If you can’t stand for as long as you should be able to according to the figures above, they have some tips on how you can boost your strength and mobility.

Before testing yourself, make sure somebody is with you, that you’re in a clear area, and are wearing suitable footwear. If you feel unsteady or unwell at any time, stop the test.

Here are the rules:

  • Keep your eyes open and your hands on your hips
  • Stand on one leg without any other support
  • Time starts when your foot leaves the ground and stops when you put your foot back down (or take your hands off your hips)

See if you can maintain the pose for your age category, but even if you’re feeling confident, don’t try to maintain the pose for any longer than one minute.

Selina Lim, Divisional Director for Integrated Pathways at the NHS East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), said, “We know that people who struggle to balance for the expected amount of time are at a higher risk of developing ill-health as they age.

“By taking part in the ‘flamingo challenge’ people can quickly and easily assess for themselves whether they are at risk. If they are, there are lots of different activities they can engage in that can help improve their overall fitness.”

Debbie Dyer, Clinical Lead for Ageing Well and Anticipatory Care at the North East Essex Alliance, said: “We all hope to live independently and in good health as we get older, and leading an active lifestyle is an important factor in improving our chances for doing just that.

“Moving our bodies more day-to-day brings immediate benefit, too. Exercise is brilliant for mental health and is a great way of meeting new people in your community.

“The longer daytime hours make summer the ideal time to be getting out and about as much as you possibly can, however old you are.

“The fitter and healthier you are, the better your mental wellbeing, and the longer you will retain your agility, strength, and balance into later life.”

According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life is linked to a near doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years.

Unlike aerobic fitness and muscle strength and flexibility, balance tends to be reasonably well preserved until the sixth decade of life when it starts to wane rapidly.

Learn more about the flamingo challenge and how to improve your fitness.

#FlamingoChallenge

#FlamingoChallenge

Transcript of #FlamingoChallenge video

Could you stand like a flamingo?

Weird question. But your answer could tell a lot about your general health and fitness.

You should be able to stand on one leg continuously for:

1 minute if you’re aged 18 to 49 (but why not aim for 2 minutes!). At least 40 seconds if you’re 50-59. 35 seconds if you’re 60-69. 20 seconds if you’re aged 70 to 79 and 5 seconds if you’re aged 80 and above.

If you can’t manage last the whole time, we have some tips on how to boost your strength and mobility.

Ready to take the test?

Firstly, make sure somebody is with you, that you’re in a clear area and that you’re wearing suitable footwear. If you feel unsteady or unwell at any time, stop the test.

OK, here are the rules. Keep your eyes open and your hands on your hips. Stand on one leg without any other support. Time starts when your foot leaves the ground and stops when you put your foot back down, or take your hands off your hips.

See if you can maintain the pose for your age category. And even if you’re feeling confident – don’t try to maintain the pose for any longer than two minutes. If you found it easy – why not try the other leg? Good luck!

Pass the flamingo challenge to someone you know and tag us in your videos. You can get more information about the flamingo challenge and how to improve your fitness at: suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/flamingo