How long should you be able to stand on one leg? Norms by age
How many seconds can you stand on one leg? Here is how to do this balance test at home, when to stop the timer, and how long people your age usually hold.
What the test is
Standing on one leg, eyes open, for as long as you can: it is one of the simplest balance tests. The usual values by age come from a 2007 study by Springer and colleagues of 549 adults aged 18 to 99.
How to do the test at home
- Stand near a wall or a counter, so you can catch yourself.
- Barefoot or in flat shoes, cross your arms over your chest.
- Lift one foot, without resting it against the other leg, and look straight ahead.
- Start the timer and hold as long as you can, up to 45 seconds.
Use whichever leg you prefer. If you often feel dizzy, have an injury or any doubt, ask a health professional first.
When to stop the timer
Stop the timer as soon as your lifted foot touches the floor, your standing foot moves, you uncross your arms or you catch yourself. In the study, the test stops at 45 seconds: beyond that, you are at the ceiling.
| Age | Women | Men | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle | Top 25% | Middle | Top 25% | |
| 40 | 41 | 45* | 41 | 45* |
| 45 | 40 | 45* | 40 | 45* |
| 50 | 38 | 45* | 39 | 45* |
| 55 | 36 | 45 | 38 | 45* |
| 60 | 31 | 40 | 33 | 43 |
| 65 | 25 | 36 | 29 | 40 |
| 70 | 18 | 28 | 24 | 34 |
| 75 | 11 | 19 | 18 | 29 |
| 80 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 21 |
Middle: half of people this age and sex score lower, half score higher. Top 25%: the result from which you do better than about three people in four.
* The study stops at 45 seconds. At these ages, many people hold until the end, so 45 seconds is not enough for the top quarter.
Based on Springer and colleagues (2007): single-try values, eyes open.
Where do you stand?
The calculation runs in your browser: nothing is sent. This is not medical advice.
The 10-second benchmark
A study published in 2022 followed 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75. About one in five could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds, and this was associated with a higher risk of death in the following years. The protocol was slightly different: the lifted foot placed behind the other leg, arms by the sides, and three attempts.
As with the other tests, this is an association: it does not prove that improving your balance lengthens your life, and the test does not diagnose anything. Your result also varies from one try to the next, with tiredness, floor or shoes: the values in the table are for a single try. And balance can be trained, even later in life.
The test in BodyYears
In BodyYears, your iPhone camera times your balance and stops as soon as your lifted foot touches the floor or your standing foot moves. Images are never recorded or sent. Together with the floor test and the chair stand, this time gives your body age. The method explains the whole calculation.
Sources
- Springer BA, Marin R, Cyhan T, Roberts H, Gill NW. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 2007.
- Araujo CG et al. Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022.