In 2022, researchers in Brazil published a study that made headlines worldwide. They asked middle-aged adults, average age 61, to do something almost laughably simple: stand on one leg for 10 seconds. No leaning, no grabbing a chair, no shuffling the foot around. Just balance.
About one in five participants couldn’t do it.
Over the next decade, those who failed the test were nearly twice as likely to die as those who passed. Ten seconds of wobbling on one leg turned out to be a startling predictor of future health.
Why Balance Is the First to Go
We tend to think of aging as the slow erosion of strength or stamina. But balance often disappears first. It’s not as obvious as gray hair or wrinkled skin, but it’s far more consequential. Balance is a whole-body negotiation between your muscles, joints, inner ear, and nervous system. When you stand on one leg, these systems light up together, like an orchestra tuning before a performance.
When the orchestra falls out of sync when your foot wobbles, your hips tilt, your arms flail, it’s not just about weak ankles. It’s about neurological decline, weakened stabilizers, and diminished resilience.
The Hidden Risks Behind a Wobble
Why does failing a 10-second test matter so much? Because poor balance is a proxy for vulnerability. If you can’t stay steady on one leg, you’re more likely to stumble on stairs, misstep on uneven ground, or fall in your own home. And for older adults, falls aren’t just accidents, they’re life-altering events that lead to fractures, immobility, and cascading health decline.
The One-Leg Balance Test is less about the present moment and more about exposure to future risk. It tells you whether your body can still negotiate with gravity or whether gravity has already begun to win.
Try It Yourself
Here’s the challenge:
- Stand tall, barefoot if possible.
- Lift one foot off the ground.
- Cross your arms, or keep them at your sides.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
Did you wobble? Did your foot touch down early? Did you sway dramatically to one side? Each slip is a subtle warning.
Training Your Balance Back
The beauty of balance is that it’s highly trainable. Like a forgotten language, the body remembers quickly with practice.
- One-Leg Stands: Practice daily, first near a wall for safety.
- Heel-to-Toe Walking: Place one foot directly in front of the other in a straight line.
- Single-Leg Deadlifts: Build strength and stability in the hips and core.
- Eyes-Closed Balance: Remove visual cues to train your inner ear and nervous system.
Even a few minutes a day rewires the brain-body connection.
Final Thought
The One-Leg Balance Test is deceptively simple. Ten seconds on one foot doesn’t sound like much. But it’s not measuring effort, it’s measuring resilience. It reveals how well your body’s systems still coordinate, and whether they can protect you from life’s smallest but most dangerous risks.
Longevity isn’t just about muscle or endurance. It’s about staying upright when it matters most. So here’s the real question: Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds or will gravity write your story before time does?
Co-authored by: Shayamal Vallabhjee
Chief Science Officer: betterhood
Shayamal is a Human Performance Architect who works at the intersection of psychology, physiology, and human systems design helping high-performing leaders, teams, and individuals thrive in environments of stress, complexity, and change. His work spans elite sport, corporate leadership, and chronic health and is grounded in the belief that true performance isn’t about pushing harder, but designing better.
