But now they have revealed another. Research shows that not being able to balance on one foot for 10 seconds is a warning sign that you are in danger of being sent to an early grave. Brazilian experts, who surveyed 2,000 people aged 50 to 75, found that volunteers who could not complete the flamingo test were 84% more likely to die early than those who passed the test easily. Here, MailOnline reveals some of the other hallmarks that you may be at risk of dying prematurely. Balance on one leg Those who sway when trying to stand on one leg are at risk, according to the latest study. Researchers in Brazil have found that those who could not complete the “Flamingo” exercise were almost twice as likely to die early as those who could. More than 1,700 participants, aged 50 to 75, underwent various fitness tests, including standing on one leg for 10 seconds without any support. This involved placing the front of one foot on the back of the opposite lower leg, holding the arms sideways and looking straight ahead. During the study – conducted by researchers at the Exercise Medicine CLINIMEX clinic in Rio de Janeiro – in which each participant was followed for an average of seven years, 123 people died. The results, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, show that those who could not stand without one leg support for 10 seconds were 84% more likely to die from any cause. By no means do I want to convey that I recommend for the mother to be inactive. But lead researcher Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo said good balance levels are required for daily life and loss of balance is “detrimental to health”. Therefore, the test “provides fast and objective feedback to the patient and health professionals about static balance,” according to the team. They said it “adds useful information on the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older men and women.” Walking speed In addition to not being able to balance on one leg, the elderly who walk slowly are at a much higher risk of being sent to the premature grave. Researchers from the French National Institutes of Health and Medical Research measured the walking speed of 3,200 people over the age of 65, who were then followed for five years, on average. The speed of each participant was measured at three different points during the study period. This was done by asking them to walk on a six-meter-long section of a corridor. The results showed that the slowest men walked 90 meters / minute (one mile every 18 minutes), while the fastest walked faster than 110 meters / minute (one mile every 15 minutes). Meanwhile, the slowest women who walked covered 81 meters / minute (one mile every 20 minutes), while the fastest did at least 90 meters / minute. More than 200 deaths were recorded, according to results published in the British Medical Journal in 2009. The analysis revealed that the slower third of walkers were 44% more likely to die by the end of the study, compared to the faster group. The researchers said that those who walked faster could be fitter and benefit from better cardiovascular health. Sitting and standing

HOW TO STAY HEALTHY THROUGH EXERCISE

Adults are encouraged to do some kind of physical activity every day. Exercising only once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. Those over 18 should aim for:

Do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) at least two days a week. This includes carrying heavy shopping bags, yoga, pilates and weightlifting.

Do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of intense activity per week. Moderate activity includes brisk walking, cycling, dancing and double tennis. Intense activity includes running, swimming and cycling fast or on hills.

Distribute the exercise evenly on four to five days a week or every day

Reduce the time you spend sitting or lying down and interrupt long periods of inactivity with some activity

Adults can also achieve the weekly activity goal by:

Several short sessions of very intense activity. This includes weightlifting, cycling and sprinting.

A combination of moderate, intense and very intense activity

Source; NHS The simple exercise of sitting and getting up again without holding anything could also indicate how long you have to live. People who struggle to get up and down without having to maintain themselves are five times more likely to die young, researchers have found. A team of scientists at Gama Filho University in Brazil recruited 2,002 people aged 51 to 80, who were called in to take the seating test. Participants, who were barefoot and wearing loose clothing, were asked to lower themselves to the floor and cross their legs without using their arms, knees, elbows or the sides of their legs for support. They were then asked to get up again, also without assistance. The volunteers were given a score of 10 for how well they did. Points were deducted for any support used or if the volunteers lost their balance slightly. The findings, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2021, show that 159 deaths were recorded during the six-year study period. The results showed that those who struggled the most to complete the test – meaning they scored zero to three – were 5.4 times more likely to die than those who did so easily. The researchers said their findings identify those who lose mobility, flexibility and muscle with age, which is a sign of poor health. Stair walking Being able to climb four stairs smoothly can also mean avoiding an early grave. Researchers in Spain have made more than 12,000 people run on treadmills, causing them to gradually accelerate until they are exhausted. Their hearts were being watched at the same time. The study, published in the European Heart Journal in 2018, monitored the volunteers’ health for five years. Deaths from all causes, as well as from heart disease, were almost three times higher in participants who were considered to be in poor health, compared to their peers who were in better physical condition. Only 1.2 percent of those who performed well in the trials died, compared with 3.2 percent of those who had difficulty training. While participants were tested on a treadmill, the scientists behind the study said people could find out if they had a good heart if they could climb three floors of stairs quickly without stopping or four stairs at a normal pace without a break. Lead researcher Dr. Jesús Peteiro, a cardiologist at A Coruña University Hospital, and his colleagues advised those who had difficulty climbing stairs to do more exercise to keep their weight, blood pressure and inflammation low. Grip strength Failure to give a firm handshake could also be a sign of imminent death if the investigation is to be believed. One study found that people with a weak grip were up to 20 percent more likely to die early. Experts in Scotland tested the traction between 500,000 volunteers aged 40 to 69, using data from the UK Biobank, a huge database containing British health records. Their grip strength was gathered using a tool called a hand dynamometer. Participants sat with their elbows to the side and bent at a 90-degree angle, so that their bar was facing forward and resting on an armrest. They tightened the tool with their right hand and then with their left hand. The scientists recorded the average maximum weight they could hold. About 13,322 participants died over the next seven years, the University of Glasgow team found. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal in 2018, show that for every 5 pounds drop in participants’ grip strength, the risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer increased by a fifth. The researchers said that grip strength acts as an indicator of skeletal muscle health – which plays a “critical” role in the fight against cancer and diabetes. Grip strength could identify people with muscle weakness who are at high risk for a wide range of diseases and may benefit from more health tests, they said. Push ups People who have difficulty completing 10 push ups are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who can manage 40. An international team of researchers has begun examining whether there is a link between fitness and the risk of cardiovascular disease. They hired 1,100 firefighters, who were regularly asked to complete as many push ups as they could between 2000 and 2010 at a local medical clinic. During the assessments, doctors set a metronome to 80 beats per minute and counted the number of push-ups completed by firefighters in time until they reached 80, lost three or more beats, or stopped. During the 10 years they were monitored, 37 were diagnosed with heart disease, according to findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open. But those who did more than 40 push ups were 96 percent less likely to suffer from one, compared to those who did less than 10. Push ups are said to be an indicator of muscle strength, which protects against death from all causes and high blood pressure.