Fysiqal
Assessment
Assessment

Single-Leg Stance (Balance) Test

2 min read
Sources and review status

Review pending — this text hasn’t been signed off by a reviewer yet.

See this lesson’s sources
balancesingle-leg-stancestatic-balanceneuromotorfall-risktest

0% read · 2 min left

DefinitionA short reference note, not a full lesson.
Definition

Time how long someone can balance on one leg (eyes open, then optionally closed); shorter times flag impaired static balance and elevated fall risk, especially in older adults.

Detail

The single-leg stance test (one-leg/unipedal stance) is a simple static-balance measure. The person stands on one leg, hands on hips (or at sides), the non-stance foot off the floor, and holds as long as possible. It is timed eyes open and, in a harder version, eyes closed (removing visual input stresses the vestibular/proprioceptive systems).

Protocol: practice trial, then time from foot-up to failure (foot touches down, hopping, the lifted foot touches the stance leg, hands leave hips, or a cap such as 30 s / 45 s). Take the best of 2–3 trials per leg; test both legs (note asymmetry).

Reference guidance: healthy adults under ~60 typically hold ≥30 s eyes open; eyes-closed times are much shorter and decline sharply with age. In older adults, an inability to hold ~10 s or holding <5 s is associated with elevated fall and mortality risk. Standardize arm position, eyes-open/closed, and the failure criteria for valid re-tests.

Key facts

  • Times static single-leg balance; eyes-open and (harder) eyes-closed versions.
  • Stop at foot touchdown/hop/hands off hips or a cap; best of 2–3 trials/leg, test both legs.
  • Healthy <60: usually ≥30 s eyes open; older adults <~10 s or <5 s flags fall/mortality risk.
  • Standardize arm/eye/failure conditions for re-tests.

Connections

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (10th/11th ed.); Bohannon et al., one-leg-stance normative data; fall-risk and single-leg-stance literature.

Exercise guides

Keep this lesson, or ask how it applies to you.

Save the lessonFree account · keeps it in your LibraryAsk a question about thisAnswers cite the Library’s own articles

Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for individualized guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy, or medical conditions.

Explore related topics

Atlas Connections

Functional Movement Screen (FMS) — Overview
A seven-task movement-quality screen scored 0–3 per task (max 21) that flags mobility/stability limitations and asymmetries to guide corrective work — a qualitative screen, not a fitness test.
Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) TestClosely related
Time someone rising from a chair, walking 3 m, turning, returning, and sitting; longer times indicate impaired mobility and higher fall risk in older adults.
Y-Balance TestClosely related
Standing on one leg, reach the free foot as far as possible in three directions (anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral); normalized reach distances and side-to-side asymmetry index dynamic balance and injury risk.
Single-Leg StandClosely related
Stand on one leg and hold — the foundational static-balance drill and a key fall-prevention exercise; harder than it looks and easily progressed.
Seniors (Redirect → Older Adults)
"Seniors" content lives in the canonical Older Adults / Seniors module.