This article is not about Hillel’s ‘golden rule’ but rather on his method of standing. “Unipedal Standing” is the scientific term for standing on one foot. Daily minute long intervals may be a useful intervention to prevent falls and hip fractures in the elderly. In the October 2006 issue of the Journal of Orthopedic Science, K. Sakamoto and colleagues reported on the effect of unipedal standing on frequency of falls and hip fractures in an elderly population. This has got to be the least expensive, least intrusive and lowest technological intervention I have ever read about for preventing hip fractures. The “unipedal standing balance exercise’ as the researchers call it was simple. Stand on each leg for a minute with your eyes open three times a day. If you need to, hang onto something so you don’t fall down.

The researchers recruited subjects, average age just less than 82 years old, and randomized them, some to serve as controls and some to do the ‘exercises.’ The number of falls and hip fractures for a six month period were tracked. Data was collected for 315 unipedal standers and 212 control subjects that presumably rarely stood on one foot.

The 315 subjects in the exercise group recorded 118 falls in the six month test period. The 212 control subjects recorded 121 falls. There was one hip fracture in each group. The difference in number of falls was statistically significant but not the number of fractures. [1]

Sakamoto published again in the December 2006 issue of Clinical Calcium. The abstract of the study listed on PubMed is a good example of why it is worthwhile to pay a little extra money for good translation services. Sakamoto points out that unipedal standing increases the weight load on the femoral head by a factor of 2.75 over standing on two legs, something I guess would be called bipedal standing.

Bone density and bone strength is improved by mild stress to the bone. That’s why we make all the fuss on weight bearing exercise. By Sakamoto’s calculations, standing on one foot for a minute would have an effect on bone density equivalent to walking 53 minutes. [2]

Repeating his exercise three times a day would have an effect equivalent to taking three almost hour long walks a day. For older people who are not that mobile, unipedal standing may be an interesting option. It appears to improve balance enough that it decreases spontaneous falls by about a third. Second, it produces mild strain to the bone, in theory decreasing the chance of fracture if the person does fall.

For people who are too frail for rigorous workouts or even walking, unipedal standing offers an alternative ‘exercise.’ Even for those of us who do exercise routinely, a few minutes on one foot may still provide added advantage. If for no other reason, it gives us the time we need to think of Hillel and maybe even his lesson.

References Available Upon Request