10-Second Balance Test: One-Leg Stance Timer and Age Averages

1 in 5Share of participants aged 51–75 who could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds

17.5% / 4.6%Death rate over about 7 years of follow-up: those who could not do the test / those who could

1.84 timesRisk of death in those who could not do it, after taking age, sex, weight and illnesses into account

24%Reduction in the number of falls in older people with balance and functional exercises

Measure yourself

Try it with the timer

Stand barefoot next to a wall or a sturdy worktop. Put your phone somewhere you can easily tap it, or ask someone to time you. Do three attempts; the best one is your result.

Eyes

Your age

Attempt 1–

Attempt 2–

Attempt 3–

0.0seconds

Ready

When you press Start, a 5-second countdown begins.

Sound cues

Your results stay on this page only; nothing is sent anywhere.

How to do it

Stand barefoot next to a wall or worktop you can hold on to.
Cross your arms over your chest and look at a point at eye level in front of you.
Lift one foot; keep it close to, but not touching, the ankle of your other leg. Timing starts when your foot leaves the floor.
If you uncross your arms, your lifted foot touches the floor or your other leg, your standing foot slides or turns, or you open your eyes during an eyes-closed attempt, the timer stops. The upper limit is 45 seconds.

Doing it safely

Do it next to something you can grab straight away if you lose your balance.
If you have fallen recently, feel dizzy or have a marked balance problem, do the test with someone beside you and skip the eyes-closed attempt.
Stop if you feel dizzy, have pain or feel faint.

Comparison

Average times by age

In 549 healthy adults without balance problems, the best of three attempts (seconds; upper limit 45). Times are much shorter with the eyes closed. Your age group is highlighted based on your choice above.

18–39you44.7

40–49you41.9

50–59you41.2

60–69you32.1

70–79you21.5

80+you9.4

Improve your balance

Four balance exercises at home

Do them in front of a worktop, holding on when needed. As they get easier, hold on less. For more, you can look at the falls prevention and balance guide.

Standing on one leg

Stand upright in front of the kitchen counter, holding on lightly with one or both hands. Lift one foot off the floor by bending the knee back, and keep your balance. As it gets easier, hold on with one hand, then with just your fingertips.

10–15 seconds, 3–5 times on each foot

Heel-to-toe walking

Walk along the counter or a wall, keeping one hand ready to steady yourself. With each step, place the heel of your front foot just in front of the toes of your back foot, and keep your eyes looking ahead. Follow a straight line, as if walking a tightrope.

10–15 steps, 2–3 rounds

Side steps

Hold on to the counter, facing it. Step sideways along the counter in one direction, then back the other way; keep your toes pointing forwards and do not let your feet knock together. This strengthens the muscles at the side of the hip.

10 steps to the right, 10 steps to the left, 2 rounds

Heel raises holding the counter

Stand upright holding on to the counter. Lift both heels together to rise onto your toes, hold for 2 seconds, then lower slowly. Your calf muscles are important for pushing off the floor as you walk and for regaining your balance.

10–15 reps

Frequently asked questions

If I cannot stand for 10 seconds, is my risk of early death high?

This is not a diagnosis. The study shows that the death rate in the following years was higher among those who could not do the test; but this is an association, and the test itself does not indicate any disease. The researchers note that they could not account for factors such as recent falls and physical activity. You can treat the test as a warning light, start working on your balance and, if you are concerned, talk to your doctor.

Which leg should I use?

In the study that produced the age averages, participants chose the leg themselves. If you like, you can try each leg separately and compare.

Why is it so hard with the eyes closed?

To keep our balance we combine information from the eyes, the inner ear and the sensors in the soles of the feet and the joints. Closing the eyes removes one of these. The averages show a big difference too: at ages 18–39, 44.7 seconds with eyes open and 15.2 seconds with eyes closed.

Can I improve my balance?

Yes. In a Cochrane review of studies in older people living in the community, balance and functional exercises reduced the number of falls by 24%. You can start with the exercises above and also look at the falls prevention guide.

Sources

Araujo CG, de Souza e Silva CG, Laukkanen JA, 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.
Springer BA, Marin R, Cyhan T, Roberts H, Gill NW. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2007;30(1).
Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, et al. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1:CD012424.