CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The ability to stay balanced and having a long life may have a strong link, according to a recent study.

What You Need To Know

The study began in 1994 and included about 1,700 people ages 55 to 75, according to the British Journal of Medicine

Participants were asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds and then stand on the other leg

After follow-ups years later the study found those who failed the balance test were 1.8 times more likely to die sooner than those who passed

A few days a week 72-year-old Anne Gildea does yoga with her daughter Katie Estridge. Gildea started regularly practicing about seven years ago after her daughter started.

“I could see that Katie was into it, and it was changing her body,” Gildea said. “She had never been stronger or more physically fit.”

Gildea wanted to be strong and mobile as she aged. It turns out yoga helped her in a much bigger way. Her daughter is also a physical therapist. When she heard about a new study that showed good balance is related to longevity she was excited.

“The study is so telling,” physical therapist Katie Estridge said. “It’s what physical therapists do all the time.”

The study began in 1994 and included about 1,700 people ages 55 to 75. Participants were asked to stand on one leg for 10 seconds. About 20% of patients could not complete the test. After follow-ups years later the study found those who failed the balance test were 1.8 times more likely to die sooner than those who passed.

Estridge has her patients do a similar test regularly to test their balance called the Berg Balance Scale. It’s a 14-step test that assesses static balance and fall risk.

“We try to decrease their risk of falls because we know that when people fall they are more likely to die,” Estridge said.

She asked her mom to give the 10-second test a try. Turns out the yoga paid off, and she passed. Guildea says thanks to yoga her improved core balance and strength have given her more confidence.

“If I am going down steps, and I have shoes on or bare feet,” Gildea said. “I am completely confident.”

Her good balance also helps her continue activities like golfing with her daughter and grandkids. She says it’s not about how long she lives, but rather how well she lives.

“I don’t think as much about living longer, as I do about living a good quality of life,” Gildea said. “My mom was disabled for the last 15 years of her life. I don’t want to live that way. I want to be as active as I can and live a good full life.”

The researchers in the balance study suggest the one-legged test should be a part of yearly physical exams for people ages 55 and above. Researchers also say other factors could have contributed to early death in patients. The study found more than half of those who failed the balance test were obese, had heart disease or had high blood pressure. About 40% of the patients who failed had Type 2 diabetes.