Assessing Single Leg Balance for Better Health in 2021

The ability to stand on one leg for a certain period of time is important for health. It is a neuromuscular skill which most would recognize as balance. Balance is always important, but it becomes a more critical skill as we age. Balance decreases as we age affecting your health because it puts you more at risk to fall and be less active leading to other health problems. When an older person falls they are at high risk for dislocations and fractures which can greatly diminish their life expectancy, especially if they break their hip. Individuals with anxiety and depression can also experience disruptions in balance making them more vulnerable to falls and other health problems related to inactivity. I will provide future posts on exercises that can be done to improve single leg stance. The purpose of this post is to teach you how to self-assess your single leg balance and determine your current level of balance and risk for falling.

To perform this test you will need an open floor space and a timer. Follow these procedures to perform this test:

1. Remove your shoes.

2. Stand facing a wall with your hands on the hips. Stare at a point on the wall. Start the timer then raise 1 foot of the floor. (see picture below)

3. Stop the timer when your raised foot touches the other leg or touches the ground, the stance foot moves from its original position, or your hands come off the hips.

Perform 3 trials on each leg. Average the 3 trials for each leg. Record the times on a score sheet.

After you have completed the test, now you are ready to analyze the results. Drum roll please! The minimum time for standing on one leg is 10 seconds. There are norms that exist by age and gender that show significantly longer hold times. In my professional opinion those longer hold times have little relationship to functional movement capability. If you are less than 10 seconds then you will need to perform specific exercises to improve your balance several times per week to decrease your fall risk. If you are at or above 10 seconds, your balance meets the minimum, but I still recommend training balance 2-3 times per week with more difficult balance exercises. Future posts will cover exercises to improve single leg balance. If you have neuromuscular conditions such as stroke or Parkinson's Disease please consider seeking professional help to get you started.