Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds? Aussie physiotherapist reveals worrying detail if you can’t

Do you struggle to balance on one leg? It could potentially mean your lifespan will be cut short.

Standing on one leg is something that comes naturally when we’re younger, with our ability to balance peaking in our late 30s and then gradually declining.

But once you’re over 50, this ability – or inability – to balance on a single leg for even a few seconds can be a crucial indicator of your overall health.

And a recent study strikingly observed that older people who can’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds are even much more likely to die within seven years.

Queensland physiotherapist David Peirce explained the finding to ABC’s Brisbane Drive, saying: ‘People were 84 percent more likely to die from any cause in the following seven years, if they couldn’t stand on one leg.’

And although the 2022 study alarmingly found people who were unable to hold a single-legged pose appeared to have a greater chance of imminent death, David clarified that it’s not the balancing act itself that spells an issue, but rather that it’s used as a broader test of overall health.

‘Your balance is a product of your visual system, the vestibular system in your ear and your proprioceptive system, which is the system that sends messages back to your brain,’ he explained.

‘If your balance is good or sound, it means those systems are probably working well.’

Speaking to Daily Mail, the physiotherapist from Kinetic Edge Physiotherapy explained further insight into this worrying research observation.

‘The research found a strong enough correlation between one-leg standing and risk of dying – so more people in the long-term study who couldn’t meet the one-leg stand measure died in the following seven years,’ he said. 

However, David stressed that ‘these are studies showing correlation, not causation’ – meaning the inability to balance on one leg doesn’t speed up an untimely death, but rather is simply a general health indicator as we age.

‘So, the research is saying balancing on one leg is a good thing to look at to see how you are doing health-wise – but it’s certainly not a singular measure.’

If you’ve started to notice an age-related decline in your single-leg balance, David reassures that steps can be taken to improve it.

‘Our brains are neuroplastic, meaning they are responsive to challenge and new learning,’ he confirms.

To improve balance, the physio suggests adopting a wide range of strengthening exercises, from cardio fitness to weightlifting and body-weight exercises. 

Crucially, he adds that any exercise plan should incorporate a series of balance-challenging moves. Some specific exercises he recommends include clock steps, tandem stance, single-leg balance with eyes open and closed, and even something as simple as catching a ball while on one leg.

Doctors often often use the ‘standing on one leg’ test as a measure of health in older adults due to its connection to the progressive age-related loss of muscle tissue, known as sarcopenia.

‘We can dramatically reduce muscle loss and its effects on our health by engaging in two sessions a week of simple weightlifting or similar physical activity that challenges our system to stay strong,’ David advises.

He adds that improving balance is also ‘helpful for falls prevention’.

‘Practise doing sideways and backwards movement challenges to help promote a better reaction if we ever start to fall.’

The other surprising health benefit of improving your balance is its strong connection to the brain.

Simply standing on one leg fires up your brain’s ability to integrate information, trains the balance centre in the inner ear, and stimulates the network of nerves as the body attempts to stabilise itself.