You've probably balanced on one foot while putting on a sock or reaching for a shoe. For most of us, it feels effortless until one day it doesn't. That small wobble in the morning can say more about your health than you might guess.
Adults who cannot hold a single-leg stand for 10 seconds in middle and later life face an 84 percent higher risk of dying from any cause within the next decade. That finding comes from a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study tracked 1,702 Brazilian adults aged 51 to 75 for about seven years. Participants were given up to three tries per foot. One in five could not pass. Among those who failed, 17.5 percent died during the follow-up, compared with 4.5 percent of those who passed.
Failure rates roughly doubled at each five-year step in age. Among people 51 to 55, about one in 20 failed. By ages 71 to 75, more than half did.
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What the test actually measures
Standing on one leg looks simple. It is not. Your body pulls together signals from the inner ear, the eyes, the leg muscles, and the small sensors in your feet and joints that tell your brain where your limbs sit in space. If any of those systems slips, you wobble.
That is why balance tends to decline faster than other markers of aging. In a 2024 study in PLOS ONE, Mayo Clinic researchers tested 40 adults over 50 on gait, grip, knee strength, and single-leg balance. Balance on the non-dominant leg showed the steepest decline of all four.
How your time compares by age
Averages give you a rough yardstick. Figures summarized by AARP from a Duke Health study put typical one-leg balance times, eyes open, at roughly these levels.
Age Also read: Vitamin may help protect babies from stress during pregnancy | Average time on one leg |
|---|---|
30s and 40s | nearly 60 seconds |
50s Also read: 8 signs your back pain could be spinal stenosis, not just muscle strain | about 45 seconds |
70s | about 26 seconds |
These are averages, not pass marks. The 10-second threshold from the Brazilian study is the floor, not the goal. Many clinicians treat about 30 seconds as a sign of healthy balance in older adults, and trouble reaching 5 seconds as a red flag worth discussing with a doctor.
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How to make your balance better
Balance responds to training at any age. Walking, leg strength work, and a few minutes of single-leg practice a day all help.
The CDC names Tai Chi as a prime example of balance work that reduces falls. Its slow weight shifts keep you on one foot for long stretches, which is exactly what the brain and the stabilizing muscles need.
You can also practice at home. Stand next to a counter, lift one foot, and hold as long as you can. Switch sides. For a longer routine, our guide to 5 simple balance exercises that could reduce your fall risk after 50 walks through a sequence.
If you cannot reach 10 seconds today, that is a reason to start balance work this week and raise it with your doctor at your next visit.
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This article is made and published by Mie Hermansen, who may have used AI in the preparation.