Standing on one leg for 10 seconds may reveal whether someone is at higher risk of death, according to a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. An inability to maintain that one-legged stance points to an 84 percent heightened risk of death in the next decade.

Al Bingham, former owner of Croton’s Encourage Yoga, wants to help keep folks healthy and upright with a wealth of on-demand videos, deep-dive courses and livestream classes available at EncourageYoga.com, including Encourage’s new Better Balance course, which consists of five balance-themed yoga practices.

 “The study in the British Journal used a modified version of tree pose for its assessment. That’s a great static balance. But it’s important to go beyond static positions and train dynamic movements as well as breath and focusing strategies too, which this course offers,” explains Bingham.

“From the yoga perspective, keeping people steady on their feet requires that we encourage mental and emotional stability too,” adds Bingham. “While uneven or slippery surfaces are often the cause of trips and falls, sometimes it’s a person’s distracted attention that contributes to them moving too fast or not noticing changes in surfaces.”

According to Bingham, “Our Better Balance course trains the systems which maintain balance (the proprioceptive, visual and vestibular), and I also offer breathing and relaxation strategies to help us all stay grounded while keeping us upright and off the ground!”

Cost: $29/lifetime access. For more information, including discounts and memberships, visit EncourageYoga.com/NaturalAwakenings or call 413.679.7766.