Insights
Changes—Simple. Hard. Worthy.

My good friend and mentor, Professor Vladimir Janda said, “You are on one leg 85% of the time.” Vlad was a neurologist from Prague, Czech Republic, and a pioneer in rehabilitation science and practice. He said many clever and quotable statements; this one really transformed my thinking. There are buckets of studies on the importance of standing on one leg. Several recent studies have suggested that the ability to stand on one leg is linked to living longer and better.
One of the studies was conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and showed that the ability to stand on one leg was strongly associated with aging. Notably, the ability to stand on one leg diminishes with age and that the simple test of standing on one-leg was more statistically linked to aging than any other test. Automatized or computerized tests were not close. In another study across nearly 20 years, the ability to stand on one-leg for 10 seconds improved all-cause mortality by 84%! This equates to an improved chance of living from all causes of death.
Additionally, they concluded the inability to stand on one-leg for 10 seconds resulted in one hundred percent increase in likelihood of dying in the next 10 years. It seems training to stand on one-leg might be beneficial for living better and longer?!
It is fascinating that something as simple as standing on one-leg could be so important! At CIHP we have been evaluating and training one-leg standing for over 20 years. We have found it invaluable in helping individuals fill the gap of where they are and where they want to be.
To resolve low back pain, knee pain and/or to live a robust and long life, standing on one-leg is a good measure and exercise, however it alone will not likely get you there. How, when, and why you stand on one leg is part of the details that matter. And, as Steve Jobs said, “Details matter, it’s worth getting it right.”
There are generally 350 joints and 600 muscles in the human body. It is estimated there are 25 quadrillion neuronal connections operating this system. A renown educator and physical therapist Gary Gray, said, “When the feet hit the ground, everything changes.” I think he is right. How you change when your feet hit the ground may be one of the most important areas of practice for your life.
Standing on one leg is simple. Standing on one leg well, during challenging events and movements, and for many, many years, is hard.
The simplicity and understanding of one-leg standing is introduced in our book, The Power of Doing What Matters. An additional series on mastering the complexity of one leg standing will be coming in this season’s Curious Gap platform.
One of the first steps to implementing one-leg standing training is to know where you stand. Is one leg weaker than the other? Are your foot muscles working? Are your knees and hips doing what they are supposed to do? If you don’t know where you stand, how do you know what kind of training to do? And, if you are not re-assessing where you stand how would you know if it’s working?
Getting assessed and understanding the answers to the questions above can seem hard or complicated. This is where your circle of advisors is key.
There is certainly power in doing what matters. Similar to one-leg standing, identifying what matters for you, is simple, hard, and worthy.
The simplicity and understanding of one-leg standing is introduced in our book, The Power of Doing What Matters. An additional series on mastering the complexity of one leg standing will be coming in our courses soon.
One of the first steps to implementing one-leg standing training is to know where you stand. Is one leg weaker than the other? Are your foot muscles working? Are your knees and hips doing what they are supposed to do? If you don’t know where you stand, how do you know what kind of training to do? And, if you are not re-assessing where you stand how would you know if it’s working?
Getting assessed and understanding the answers to the questions above can seem hard or complicated. This is where your circle of advisors is key.
There is certainly power in doing what matters. Similar to one-leg standing, identifying what matters for you, is simple, hard, and worthy.
Reach for the stars,
Clayton Skaggs

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