Another Health/Longevity Measure: How long can you stand on one leg?

[athena53]

I almost posted this in the thread on jumping but decided it was OT. It's an article on how long you should be able to stand on one leg, a crucial measure of quality of life as you age. Short answer: Age 69 and under it should be about 30 seconds or longer for those 69 and younger, about 20 seconds for those 70 to 79 and 10 seconds for those older than 80.

MSN

I'm 71 and can manage 30 if I try a couple of times. Gotta work on that. This does seem like one of those "chicken and egg" measures: people who can stand on one leg for a protracted period of time are more likely to be active and mobile in the first place, so they already have a chance of living longer.

 

[MarieIG]

Hmmmmm. Not sure but my balance has never been impressive. I'd try but I'm outside with the pup. I don't think I want the neighbors seeing me topple over in the yard.

I do recall the test about getting off the floor without using hands and at the time thinking as I needed to be hoisted up with a crane it indicated that I had passed away several years prior...

My getting off the floor abilities have improved since retirement due to a lot of leg exercise.

 

[Dtail]

I am 64 and was able to do >30 seconds. I am very active in Pickleball which indirectly helps.

 

[audreyh1]

FWIW Standing on a hard surface is much easier than padded carpet.

 

[Dtail]

Hmmmmm. Not sure but my balance has never been impressive. I'd try but I'm outside with the pup. I don't think I want the neighbors seeing me topple over in the yard.

I do recall the test about getting off the floor without using hands and at the time thinking as I needed to be hoisted up with a crane it indicated that I had passed away several years prior...

My getting off the floor abilities have improved since retirement due to a lot of leg exercise.

The getting off the floor test I can't do.

 

[Rianne]

I practice standing on one leg a lot. I fell a couple of times and decided I needed balance strength. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, I'll stand and balance. I can balance > 2 minutes or more on the left and right legs. Highly recommend practicing this. Also, bend forward and to the side while standing on one leg. Reach arms into the air. Twist the abdomen.

 

[harllee]

I take yoga and can stand a long time on one leg, several minutes. I am age 73

 

[RetiredHappy]

I have never been able to stand on one leg because I have a condition of unstable bilateral joint issue in my feet. Basically, the front of my feet can be turned in the opposite direction of my heels. I fall down ALOT since young and I had never been able to roller skate. Finally, I was diagnosed with my condition in my 50s when my "plantar fascilitis" got worse. It turned out that I didn't have plantar fascilitis and my feet hurt like hell. When the podiatrist showed me how my feet turned in opposite direction from the front to the back, that explained alot. I have custom orthotics that help with the pain in my feet but it does not help with my inability to balance on one foot or do things like roller skating.

 

[foxfirev5]

Tried it for the first time. Over 1 minute each at age 68. Good enough for now.

 

[aaronc879]

I'm only 45. I was able to do 30 seconds but I was wobbly especially on my hip replacement leg. I am 6'6" with very skinny legs so I didn't think I could do 30 seconds but I guess i'm ok for now.

 

[razztazz]

I've been doing this every day for years. I heard it was an early "canary in the coal mine" indicator of encroaching dementia. I can stand on one leg almost indefinitely. I stopped when I got up to 2 mins because it was causing hip/foot strain. Today I just go about 45 seconds and call it a day.

My two observations. 1) I am apparently so good at it I could be masking the symptoms of that encroaching dementia....? Like the drunk who knows how to act sober at work. 2) It did not in any way act as a subtle forecaster of the heart attack I had 4 years ago.

In addition to the standing on one leg test, the past 2 years I have also been doing 60-90 seconds a day on a wobble board. More dynamic/less static than just standing on one leg.

 

[Sojourner]

I quickly scanned through the original/source research article about this (here) and didn't see any mention of whether the test should be done with or without shoes (or socks) and what kind of floor (carpeted, hardwood, etc.). I'm guessing without shoes and on a hardwood floor would be best, but does anyone know for sure?

 

[Teacher Terry]

I can balance for a long time but can’t get up off the floor without using my hands.

 

[GrayHare]

Is this a test of balance or muscle strength?

 

[aaronc879]

I can balance for a long time but can’t get up off the floor without using my hands.

Who can get off the floor without using their hands? I'm quite sure I have never been able to do that at least as a very tall adult with very little leg muscle.

 

[Zona]

I balance on one leg while brushing my teeth at night. I have one of those electric toothbrushes that buzzes every 30 seconds, so I switch legs after one minute. Maybe to increase time I'll start also doing this in the morning, too -- right leg in am for 2 minutes, then left leg in the evening.

 

[old medic]

Many years ago, thru work, I met a man in his late 70s that went to put on his pants standing up and stepped into them... He stated he started in his younger days by standing up and putting on his socks every day for flexibility and balance. At 60 I was doing the same everyday until 7 days later..... I'm now tickled I can lean against something and put on pants standing.... well most days....

 

[old medic]

Who can get off the floor without using their hands? I'm quite sure I have never been able to do that at least as a very tall adult with very little leg muscle.

I use too.... now I need hands to get up from a chair....

 

[athena53]

I balance on one leg while brushing my teeth at night. I have one of those electric toothbrushes that buzzes every 30 seconds, so I switch legs after one minute. Maybe to increase time I'll start also doing this in the morning, too -- right leg in am for 2 minutes, then left leg in the evening.

What a great idea! I'm going to put that into practice.

Who can get off the floor without using their hands? I'm quite sure I have never been able to do that at least as a very tall adult with very little leg muscle.

I can still do that but I'm "only" 5'7".

 

[iloveyoga]

I take yoga and can stand a long time on one leg, several minutes. I am age 73

I was going to say the exact same thing, I am 65. The beauty of yoga is I can keep doing it for a long time, God willing. I recently got an eBike and I can tell being able to balance easily really helps. Plus I have always had a regular bike to ride.

 

[aja8888]

I quit at one minute but easily could have gone longer. I'm 81 and still walk 8,000+ steps per day and play golf about once er week, even in this hellacious Texas heat.

 

[pacergal]

I also practice balancing on one foot almost daily.
But don't ask me to do it with my eyes closed without something nearby to grab!

 

[homestead]

Who can get off the floor without using their hands? I'm quite sure I have never been able to do that at least as a very tall adult with very little leg muscle.

Tall people definitely have a disadvantage doing that because of the physics of the longer legs.

 

[razztazz]

I quickly scanned through the original/source research article about this (here) and didn't see any mention of whether the test should be done with or without shoes (or socks) and what kind of floor (carpeted, hardwood, etc.). I'm guessing without shoes and on a hardwood floor would be best, but does anyone know for sure?

I haven't seen any mentions of "conditions" so far. The bare feet thing will cause many perfectly healthy people to fail. Feet need support. Older feet don't feel like young feet. If I do it in socks/bare foot I have to stop sooner due to PAIN not because I suddenly lost my balance or came down with a condition that will go away the minute I put shoes on. Might lend it self to misleading results.

 

[GrayHare]

I think this test, and the stand up without use of hands test, are better measures for change within a given person. For example, someone who could do both tests years ago but cannot now might be experiencing decline due to age or health. Conversely, comparing results across people is IMO not valid because balance and strength vary by person regardless of age and health.