Standing on one leg: How long am I considered fit?

How long can you stand on one leg? The longer you hold on, the younger you could be at it – at least that’s what a new study published in the scientific journal Plos One suggests.

Study: Balancing ability decreases with age

In the study, healthy people aged 50 and over completed several strength and balancing tests. The grip strength in the dominant hand and the strength in the knees were measured in different age groups. There were also tests in which the test subjects had to balance on one leg with their eyes open – on the dominant and the non-dominant leg.

The result: All of the characteristics mentioned decrease with age. However, this was most noticeable when balancing on the non-dominant leg. According to this, the length of the one-legged stance in the test group of a total of 40 test subjects decreased by 1.7 seconds every ten years on the dominant side and by 2.2 seconds on the non-dominant side – regardless of gender.

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The study authors also have an explanation for this result: “The importance of balance, especially when standing on one leg, arises from the fact that, in addition to sufficient muscle strength, this requires several sensory inputs and neuromuscular control.” Therefore, balance can be achieved on one leg ( …) decreased most rapidly in our healthy cohort, reflecting an age-related disadvantage in muscle strength,” the paper says.

Physical health: How long should you be able to stand on one leg?

The study itself does not give a concrete answer to how long you can balance on one leg and at what age so that you are still considered physically fit. However, the British health service (NHS) gives values to guide you on how long you should endure the so-called “flamingo test”.

Accordingly, you are considered physically fit for your age if you reach these times:

Change	Duration of standing on one leg
18 to 39 years	43 seconds
40 to 49 years	40 seconds
50 to 59 years	37 seconds
60 to 69 years	30 seconds
70 to 79 years	19 seconds
from 80 years	5 seconds

The test requires that you perform your stance without any further assistance, placing both hands on your hips and keeping your eyes open. It is also important to have suitable footwear so that your stance is not affected by external influences.

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Another study from 2022 also shows that it can be worthwhile to carry out regular balance exercises to improve your balance skills.

The research article, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found a link between the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds and a higher risk of death in the next seven years in people aged 50 and over. 1,702 people between the ages of 51 and 75 were tested here over a period of twelve years.