As we get wiser in our years our balance starts to slowly decline. At first it may not be noticeable but then one day you may end up on the ground and asking yourself, how did I get here? Let’s try and avoid that situation! Here are the average times people are able to stand on one leg based off of a study done by Springer et al in 2007.
Average single leg balance times
40 - 49 years | 40 seconds |
50 - 59 years | 37 seconds |
60 - 69 years | 27 seconds |
70 - 79 years | 15 seconds |
80 - 89 years | 6 seconds |
Are you better than average for your age group? You can test this out by standing at your kitchen counter. Hover your hands above the counter in case you need to catch yourself, and see how long you can go.
As you can see the trend is significant that each decade we go up in age, our ability to stand on one leg goes down. This lack of balance makes us vulnerable to falls when we are out in public and distractions arise.
An easy way to practice your balance is every time you brush your teeth. Spend one minute on each leg morning and night while brushing your teeth to help improve your balance. As always, make sure you are being safe when practicing balance at home.
Springer, Barbara A. PT, PhD, OCS, SCS1; Marin, Raul MD1; Cyhan, Tamara RN, BSN1; Roberts, Holly MPT, GCS1; Gill, Norman W. PT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT1 Normative Values for the Unipedal Stance Test with Eyes Open and Closed, Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy: April 2007 – Volume 30 – Issue 1 – p 8-15