How long you can stand on one leg measures the balance systems that keep you upright and independent. It draws on your inner ear, the position sense in your joints, your eyes and your leg strength at once, so one short test reflects the condition of the whole body.
It falls with age and improves with training. Being unable to hold a 10-second stand in midlife has been linked to a higher death rate over the following years, and steadier balance predicts fewer injurious falls, the falls that most often end independence.
Findings & Outcomes
What It Is
The one-leg stand test is how long you can balance on a single leg before you put the other foot down or reach for support. It draws on many systems at once: your inner ear, the position sense coming up from your joints and the soles of your feet, your eyes, and the strength to hold a hip and ankle steady. Because one brief test captures that whole integrated system, it carries information about how you are aging that otherwise takes far more equipment to get. It belongs to the family of home self-checks on the self-measures hub, alongside walking speed, grip strength and the chair stand.
Balance sits close to the risk of falling. Training it is covered in full on the balance and fall prevention page; here the focus is the measurement and what it means.
How To Do The Test
Set up so a stumble is safe. Stand barefoot or in flat shoes on a firm floor, beside a kitchen counter, a doorframe or a heavy chair you can grab the instant you need it. The support is there to catch you, so rest a finger on it between attempts and keep your hand off it while the clock runs.
For the eyes-open test, fix your gaze on a point about 6 feet (2 meters) ahead at eye level, arms relaxed at your sides, and lift one foot clear of the floor. Start a stopwatch as you lift, and stop it the moment the raised foot touches down, you grab the support, or the standing foot shifts. Take the better of two or three attempts on each leg, and note which leg, since most people differ between sides. The eyes-open version is the one the survival data used, at a 10-second threshold in midlife and later life.
The eyes-closed test is the same position with your eyes shut, and it is much harder. Closing your eyes removes vision, one of the three main inputs to balance, and forces you onto your inner ear and position sense alone, so times drop sharply. Try it only once the eyes-open version is comfortable, and keep your hand hovering right beside the support, because this is where most people lose balance without warning. A few seconds with eyes closed is common and normal, especially with age.
Hold the targets loosely, and compare to your own age band rather than to a single number. Through midlife and into later life, completing a 10-second eyes-open stand comfortably is the reassuring mark, and being unable to reach it is the threshold the studies link to higher risk. Healthy younger adults hold the position far longer, often well beyond 30 seconds, and the time falls with each decade. Eyes-closed times collapse to a fraction of that at every age. Normative reference values confirm the steady age-related decline in both conditions and find no meaningful difference between men and women.
What Your Time Means
A short stance time predicts a higher death rate and, more specifically, more injurious falls, the kind that break a hip and end independence. It also tracks with early brain aging, because balance depends on the brain as much as on the legs. The test is useful because it is so general. That same breadth is why it points to no single cause: a short time reflects the condition of the whole system without showing which part is weak.
The mortality and falls findings are observational cohorts, and the same confound runs under both. A short stance partly marks people already carrying illness, weakness or subclinical change, so the reading reflects the body as it is now as much as it forecasts what is coming. Balancing longer on command does not by itself extend life. A low time is a reason to look and to act, not a diagnosis.
The Research & Studies
Everything here is based on the research we have collected and checked, sorted into groups and ordered with the strongest evidence first. Click any claim to open the studies behind it.
Balance And Falls
Balance training made older adults steadier on every test across 23 trials, most in catching a wobble (SMD 1.73)
Across 23 trials in healthy older adults, practising balance made people measurably steadier on every kind of balance test, with the largest gains in catching a predicted or sudden wobble.
This systematic review and meta-analysis screened 345 articles and pooled 23 randomized controlled trials of balance training in healthy community-dwelling adults aged 65 and over, using a random-effects model against passive controls. Weighted standardized mean differences favored training for static steady-state balance (0.51), dynamic steady-state balance (0.44), proactive balance, meaning anticipation of a predicted perturbation (1.73), and reactive balance, meaning recovery from an unpredicted one (1.01). The review also mapped dose, so a reader can see that regular short sessions accumulate the effect.
Who this may not transfer to:The pooled trials enrolled both sexes; balance training is studied and used in men and women alike, with no evidence the response differs by sex.
Because balance responds to being challenged, the way to raise your stance time is to train near your limit at a support you can grab: narrow the base, shift onto one leg, then add head turns or eyes closed as each level becomes easy, rather than simply holding the same easy position for longer.
The study · 1
Lesinski et al., effects of balance training on balance performance in healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis · Sports Med 2015;45(12):1721-1738
Balance-focused exercise cut the rate of falls 23% across 108 trials and 23,407 older adults
Pooling 108 trials in more than 23,000 older adults, exercise that challenges balance cut how often people fell by about a quarter, the firmest finding in this whole area.
This Cochrane review included 108 randomized controlled trials with 23,407 community-dwelling participants (mean age 76, 77% women). Exercise of all types reduced the rate of falls by 23% (rate ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.83; 59 studies; high-certainty evidence) and reduced the number of people experiencing one or more falls by 15% (risk ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.89; high-certainty). The effect was driven by programs that challenge balance, including tai chi, rather than by strength work alone, which links the modifiable side of a poor stance time to a measured drop in real falls.
Who this may not transfer to:The pooled trials were 77% women, reflecting who enrols in fall-prevention research; the effect is consistent enough that it is applied to both sexes, though the male estimate rests on fewer participants.
The single-leg stand is a readout, and the lever behind it is regular balance-focused practice; roughly three hours a week of balance challenge, reachable in short daily doses at a counter, is where the fall-prevention trials show the largest effect.
The study · 1
Sherrington et al., exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community · Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019;1:CD012424
Progress Markers
Unable to hold a 5-second one-leg stand, about twice the injurious-fall rate (RR 2.13)
In 316 older adults followed for three years, those who could not balance on one leg for even 5 seconds were about twice as likely to have a fall that caused injury, and balance was the single strongest predictor of injurious falls in the study.
The Albuquerque Falls Study followed 316 healthy community-living volunteers over 60 (mean age 73) for 3 years, recording falls every other month. At baseline 84.5% could stand on one leg for 5 seconds. Over follow-up 71% fell and 22% had an injurious fall. In logistic regression, age over 73 was the only independent predictor of all falls, but impaired one-leg balance was the only independent predictor of injurious falls (relative risk 2.13, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.34, p=0.03). The authors stress that no single factor is accurate enough to be used alone, because many diverse factors drive falling.
The study · 1
Vellas et al., one-leg balance is an important predictor of injurious falls in older persons · J Am Geriatr Soc 1997;45(6):735-738
Short one-leg stance time lines up with falls and daily-living decline, and lengthens with training
Reviewing the research on the one-leg stand, it lines up with real-world troubles like falls and losing the ability to manage daily tasks, and it gets better with training, which is why it works as a quick frailty check.
This review examined the one-leg standing test as a marker of musculoskeletal ambulation disability, a condition defined by Japanese medical societies to flag deterioration of the movement system. It covered testing procedures and reference values, associations between stance time and negative events, and improvement of stance time with intervention. Observational studies linked shorter times to falls, declines in activities of daily living and other morbidity, and stance times improved with several interventions. The authors conclude the test can serve as a frailty marker, while cautioning that measured times vary widely because procedures differ between studies and that they did not grade the evidence level of each included study.
The study · 1
Michikawa et al., one-leg standing test for elderly populations · J Orthop Sci 2009;14(5):675-685
A failed 10-second one-leg stand predicted 1.84 times the death rate over 7 years
In a Brazilian clinic study of more than 1,700 people aged 51 to 75, the one in five who could not hold a 10-second stand on one leg were roughly twice as likely to die over the next seven years, and 17.5% of them died against 4.6% of those who could hold it.
The CLINIMEX exercise-medicine cohort assessed a 10-second one-legged stance in 1,702 individuals (68% men) aged 51 to 75 between 2008 and 2020. About 20.4% could not complete it. Over a median 7-year follow-up, 7.2% died overall, split 4.6% among those who passed and 17.5% among those who failed. In a Cox model adjusted for age, sex, body mass index and comorbidities, inability to complete the test carried a hazard ratio of 1.84 (95% CI 1.23 to 2.78, p<0.001), and it improved discrimination beyond established risk factors. The authors flag uncontrolled variables such as recent falls and physical activity.
Who this may not transfer to:The sample was 68% men from a single self-referred exercise-medicine clinic, so it skews male and toward people already engaged with their fitness; the association in women rests on a smaller subgroup.
The study · 1
Araujo et al., successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals · Br J Sports Med 2022;56(17):975-980
A one-leg stand under 20 seconds tracked silent brain small-vessel disease and lower cognition in 1,387 adults
In nearly 1,400 apparently healthy adults, a shorter one-leg stand tracked with silent early brain changes on MRI and with lower cognitive scores, suggesting the test reads brain health as well as leg strength.
The Japan Shimanami cross-sectional study assessed one-leg standing time and posturography in 1,387 middle-aged to elderly people from a general population, with brain MRI for cerebral small-vessel disease (periventricular hyperintensity, lacunar infarction, microbleeds) and a computer-based cognitive screen. The frequency of a short stand (under 20 seconds) increased linearly with disease severity. Short stance time stayed associated with lacunar infarction (p=0.009) and microbleeds (p=0.003) after adjustment, and with reduced cognitive function (p=0.002) independent of the small-vessel disease itself. Posturography parameters were not independently associated with the brain findings.
The study · 1
Tabara et al., association of postural instability with asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage and cognitive decline: the Japan Shimanami study · Stroke 2015;46(1):16-22
Measurement And Diagnosis
Across 549 healthy adults, one-leg stance time falls with age and drops sharply with eyes closed, alike in both sexes
In 549 healthy people, how long you can stand on one leg drops steadily with age, closing your eyes shortens it dramatically at any age, and men and women scored about the same.
This normative study measured the unipedal stance test in 549 healthy adults aged 18 and over, across six age bands, with eyes open and eyes closed, taking the best of three trials. Stance time decreased significantly with age in both conditions, and eyes-closed times were much shorter than eyes-open times throughout, because removing vision forces reliance on the vestibular and proprioceptive systems alone. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (ICC 0.994 eyes open, 0.998 eyes closed). Performance was age-specific and not related to sex, so the sensible comparison is to your own age band rather than to a single figure.
Who this may not transfer to:The study reported both sexes and found performance was not related to sex, so the age bands apply to men and women alike.
The study · 1
Springer et al., normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed · J Geriatr Phys Ther 2007;30(1):8-15
How it works
Balance blends signals from the feet, the inner ear and the eyes, so one stance reads several systems at once
Standing on one leg is not one muscle doing the work; the brain blends signals from your feet and joints, your inner ear and your eyes, which is why the test reads several systems at once and why closing your eyes makes it so much harder.
This review describes postural control as the interaction of dynamic sensorimotor processes serving two goals: postural orientation, aligning the body to gravity, the support surface and the visual surround, and postural equilibrium, coordinating movement to keep the center of mass stable during expected and unexpected disturbances. Sensory information from the somatosensory, vestibular and visual systems is integrated, with the relative weight on each input depending on the task and environment. Anticipatory postural adjustments precede voluntary movement, and the amount of cognitive processing required rises with task difficulty. Damage to any underlying system produces its own context-specific instability, which is why one brief test cannot localize a cause.
The study · 1
Horak, postural orientation and equilibrium: what do we need to know about neural control of balance to prevent falls? · Age Ageing 2006;35 Suppl 2:ii7-ii11
Sharper sensation in the sole of the foot went with a longer one-leg stand in 1,659 older adults
In more than 1,600 older adults, people whose feet could feel light touch better also stood longer on one leg, which fits the idea that balance leans on the sensory signals coming up from the soles.
This cross-sectional study measured plantar cutaneous sensation thresholds with an automatic testing device in 1,659 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 74, 43% male) and related them to one-leg standing time, five-time sit-to-stand time, grip strength and gait speed. After adjusting for confounders, the plantar sensation threshold was independently associated with one-leg standing time (p=0.001) and sit-to-stand time (p=0.001), but not with normal gait speed (p=0.741). Age, sex, body mass index and leg phase angle, but not skeletal muscle mass index or grip strength, were associated with the sensation threshold itself.
Who this may not transfer to:The sample was 43% male, reasonably balanced; findings are reported for the whole cohort rather than split by sex.
The study · 1
Kato et al., plantar cutaneous sensation is independently associated with postural balance and lower limb motor function in older adults: the Shizuoka study · Eur Geriatr Med 2025;16(2):625-634
How To Improve It
Balance improves when it is challenged, and this is the part of the test you can change. Across 23 randomized trials in healthy older adults, balance training produced clear gains on every kind of balance test, with the largest improvements in catching a predicted or a sudden wobble. To raise your stance time, practice near your limit at a support you can grab:
- Narrow your stance to feet together, then heel-to-toe.
- Shift onto a single leg with one finger on the counter.
- Progress by removing support, not by holding the easy position longer.
- Add head turns side to side, then the eyes-closed version, as each level becomes easy.
Two other things raise the same number. Leg and hip strength hold the stance steady, so single-leg work like step-ups and slow sit-to-stands builds the strength behind it, and tai chi is a well-studied movement practice whose weight transfer and rooted stance train the same balance components the research identifies. Regular balance-focused exercise, roughly three hours a week reached in short daily doses, is what the fall-prevention trials show cuts real falls. Those trials measured falls prevented by training in general, not that raising your own stance number lowers your own risk; the two move together because the same practice drives both. The full protocol, including how to start safely if you are unsteady, is on the balance and fall prevention page, and the movement practice on tai chi and qi gong.
Go Deeper
- Self-measures hub: the single-leg stand alongside walking speed, grip strength, the chair stand and blood pressure, each with the protocol its numbers came from.
- Balance and fall prevention: the practice behind the number, how to train it safely, and the causes of falls that are not in the legs at all.
- Tai chi and qi gong: the movement practice with the most randomized evidence for balance in older adults.
- Grip strength: the other quick whole-body readout, a marker of overall strength.
The Chinese Medicine View
Doing The Test Safely
Everything to be aware of is here, in one place. This practice suits most healthy people; a few situations call for real care.
Do it within reach of something solid
Stand beside a kitchen counter, a doorframe or a heavy chair so you can grab it the instant you need to, and clear the floor of anything loose. Have someone in the room if you feel at all unsteady. If you would not attempt a single-leg stance beside a counter, that is a reason to be assessed by a physiotherapist rather than to test yourself alone, and anyone who has fallen in the past year should not do the balance tests alone.
Stop if you feel dizzy or lightheaded
Balancing with eyes closed in particular can bring on a moment of dizziness. Put the foot down, hold the support and wait for it to pass. Feeling faint, a spinning room, chest pressure, sudden breathlessness or a fast or irregular heartbeat during the test is a reason to stop and seek medical advice rather than to push through.
A sudden loss of balance or new neurological signs need a clinician
A gradual change over months fits normal aging and training. Balance that drops suddenly, or unsteadiness that arrives with slurred speech, weakness or numbness down one side, double vision, or a severe new headache, points to something other than aging and calls for urgent medical attention. New numbness in both feet, or violent spinning for seconds when you roll over in bed, should be raised with a doctor, since both have specific causes a clinician can address.
Read a low score as a prompt, not a diagnosis
The test reflects the whole balance system, so a short time is a reason to train, to look at medications, vision and blood pressure with a doctor, and to take steadiness seriously, and not evidence of any one disease. Compare yourself to your own age band, since falling short at 54 means something different from falling short at 74.
Start slow, be smart, read the research, and consult a professional if you have any concerns. This is here to inform your choice, not make it for you.
Common Questions
How long should I be able to stand on one leg for my age?
Compare against your own age rather than a single figure, because stance time falls steadily with each decade. Through midlife and later life, comfortably completing a 10-second eyes-open stand is the reassuring mark, and being unable to reach it is the threshold the studies link to higher risk. Healthy younger adults hold it far longer, often well beyond 30 seconds, and eyes-closed times are much shorter at every age. Normative data confirms the age-related decline and finds men and women perform about the same.
Why does standing on one leg predict how long people live?
Because holding a single-leg stance needs your inner ear, your position sense, your vision and your leg strength all working at once, so the time stands in for the condition of the whole body. In 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, those who could not complete a 10-second stand had 1.84 times the death rate over about seven years, and the test added information beyond age, sex, body mass index and existing conditions. It is a strong general signal that points to no single disease, and it partly marks people already carrying illness, so a longer hold on command is not itself what keeps you alive.
Why is it so much harder with my eyes closed?
Vision is one of the three main inputs your brain uses to balance, alongside the inner ear and the position sense from your joints and feet. Closing your eyes removes vision, so you fall back on the other two alone, and the time drops sharply. That is normal, and a few seconds with eyes closed is common, especially with age. It is a harder test of the deeper balance systems, which is why it is best attempted only once the eyes-open version is comfortable and your hand is near the support.
Can I actually improve my balance, or is it just aging?
You can improve it. Across 23 randomized trials, balance training made healthy older adults measurably steadier, with the biggest gains in recovering from a wobble. Balance responds to being challenged, so the way up is to practice near your limit at a support you can grab, narrowing your stance and removing support as each level gets easy. Regular balance-focused exercise also cuts real falls in the fall-prevention trials, so the same practice raises the score and reduces falls.
Does a poor score mean something is wrong with my brain?
Not on its own. A short stance does track with early, silent brain changes: in nearly 1,400 adults, a shorter one-leg standing time lined up with small-vessel changes on MRI and with lower cognition scores, independent of those brain findings. That makes the test a shared marker of brain and body aging, and not a brain scan. Read a low time as a reason to train and, if it came on suddenly or with other symptoms, to see a doctor, and not as a diagnosis.
Explore Related
Other pages this one connects to, by the evidence they share, the outcomes they touch, and the ground they cover.
All 9 sources on this page independently checked and cross-referenced.
Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus
Sacred Lotus has published Chinese medicine reference material since 2001. Integrative pages are held to the same standard as the herb and formula library: cite the source, grade the claim at its real strength, and say where the research has not looked. This page is educational and it is not medical advice. Last reviewed and updated August 10, 2026.
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