The 10-second balance test

Stand barefoot on one leg and rest your other foot against the back of your standing calf. Keep your arms by your sides and look straight ahead. Can you hold it for 10 seconds? You get three tries.

Balance declines quickly after your mid-50s. In a study of 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, about 1 in 5 couldn't hold the stance. Over the next 7 years, 17.5% of them died, compared with 4.6% of people who passed. After accounting for age, sex, BMI and health conditions, failing the test was linked to an 84% higher risk of death.

The study comes from the same Brazilian clinic behind the sit-to-rise test. It didn't record falls or how active people were, so failing the test may partly reflect other health problems.

Balance responds to training. A Cochrane review of 108 trials in people over 60 found that balance and functional exercises cut the rate of falls by 24%. Simple practice counts. Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth, and switch legs each night.