How Long Should You Be Able to Balance on One Leg for Your Age?

Key Takeaways

• Balance peaks at age 30 and begins to decline at age 50.
• Being able to balance on one leg for 10 seconds is associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality.
• Training to balance on one leg benefits overall health.

The one-leg-standing test is commonly used to assess motor function, and how long you can stand on one leg typically declines with age.¹ Balancing on one leg requires not only muscle strength but also coordination between the body’s sensory and nervous systems to help keep the body balanced.

How Balance Time Changes With Age

At any age, the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (death for any reason). While further studies are necessary, the 10-second test may be a good barometer of overall health.²

When a person walks, they spend almost half of the time in a single-leg stance, meaning every time they take a step, they must balance on one leg.³

Balance peaks around age 30, and after age 50, it begins to decline.

A study that set a max of 120 seconds of balance time looked at averages across ages.⁴ These averages were as such:

• Ages 2 to 6: 10 seconds
• Ages 7 to 12: 80 seconds
• Ages 13 to 19: 118 seconds
• Ages 20 to 29: 120 seconds
• Ages 30 to 39: 120 seconds
• Ages 40 to 49: 110 seconds
• Ages 50 to 59: 100 seconds
• Ages 60 to 69: 60 seconds
• Ages 70 to 79: 40 seconds
• Ages 80 to 89: 10 seconds
• Ages 90 and over: 5 seconds

While these averages are a good starting point for how long you should be able to balance at each age, balancing longer has benefits.⁴

What Are the Benefits of Balancing on One Leg?

Engaging in balance exercises can help improve overall health:

• Brain benefits: Working on balance may counteract the effects of aging on the brain, helping to increase or maintain brain volume and thickness. Balance may also help with memory and cognition.⁵
• Postural benefits: Posture is the foundation for all movement. Achieving the correct posture sets you up to move through the day—allowing you to walk, run, climb stairs, exercise and more. Standing posture can be strengthened through single-leg balance exercises.⁶
• Fall prevention: Poor balance can increase the risk of falls, a concern as people age.⁷ For people over the age of 65, unintentional falls are the leading cause of death from injury. Working to improve balance can help you avoid falls.⁸
• Muscle strength: Balancing on one leg helps develop small and large muscles of the legs and core. While muscle mass naturally declines with age, maintaining fitness and working on balance can help prevent it.⁹
• Joint protection: Balance training can help protect your joints. One study found that people with knee osteoarthritis who engaged in balance training improved their balance and function.¹⁰

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How to Balance Train

Balance training can be done in a variety of ways depending on your current level of fitness:¹¹

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Exercise for your bone health.

¹¹

• For a beginner, simply standing on one leg while holding a wall or other stable surface can help you increase the amount of time you can stand on one leg.
• As you get stronger and your balance improves, you can rely less and less on the wall or surface for support until you are balancing without it.
• To further challenge balance, try walking or balancing on an unstable surface such as a foam mat or wobble board.
• To increase strength in the legs and core, single-leg exercises like lunges with or without weight can help. Step-ups are another great exercise for improving balance and strength.
• Certain types of exercise like tai chi and yoga can also be good for balance.

DATE . 8/Sep/2026