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The 10-Second Balance Test: What a Study of 1,702 Adults Found

11 min read

A 2022 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine asked 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75 to stand on one leg for 10 seconds. One in five were unable to. Over the following years, the people who failed the test were more likely to die from any cause, even after the researchers took account of age, sex, body mass index and other health conditions.

This guide covers what that study found, what it does not show, how balance changes with age in a 2024 Mayo Clinic study, why falls matter, and how to test and train your balance safely at home. The 2022 study found a link between failing the test and a higher risk of death. It does not show that poor balance causes early death, or that training balance changes that risk.

20.4%
Adults aged 51 to 75 who were unable to complete a 10-second one-leg stand
Araujo et al. 2022, 1,702 adults
1.84x
Risk of death from any cause for those who failed, against those who passed, after allowing for age, sex and health conditions
Araujo et al. 2022, median follow-up 7 years
0.62 SD
Gap per decade of age in one-leg standing time, in standard deviations, the largest among the measures compared
Rezaei et al. 2024, 40 healthy adults over 50
842,000
Estimated deaths from falls worldwide in 2023, with about 71% in adults aged 60 and over
World Health Organization (WHO) falls fact sheet 2026
Sources: Araujo et al. 2022, British Journal of Sports Medicine. Rezaei et al. 2024, PLOS ONE. World Health Organization falls fact sheet, 21 October 2026.

What the 2022 study found

Claudio Gil Araujo, of the Exercise Medicine Clinic CLINIMEX in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and an international team of colleagues assessed 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75 between 2008 and 2020. Of the group, 68% were men. Each person was classed by whether they were able to complete a 10-second stand on one leg. The study abstract does not describe the exact test position, and the full paper was not available to us. Overall, 20.4% were unable to complete the test.

People were followed for a median of 7 years, meaning half were followed for longer and half for less. Over that time, 7.2% of the group died. Deaths were 4.6% among people who completed the test and 17.5% among people who failed it. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and other health conditions, people who failed had 1.84 times the risk of death from any cause, or 84% higher. The 95% confidence interval, the range of values the data support, ran from 1.23 to 2.78. Adding the test result to standard risk factors such as age and body mass index made the researchers' predictions of who died more accurate.

Deaths by 10-second one-leg stand result Percent of each group who died during a median 7-year follow-up Failed the test 17.5% Completed the test 4.6% 0% 10% 20%
Source: Araujo et al. 2022, British Journal of Sports Medicine. 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, 68% men. These are raw death rates in each group. After allowing for age, sex, body mass index and health conditions, the group that failed had 1.84 times the risk of death.

What this study does not show

This was an observational study. It shows that failing the test went with a higher risk of death, not that poor balance causes death. The authors note that the study did not take account of recent falls or physical activity, and both might affect the result. The group was mostly men and aged 51 to 75, so in our view the results might not apply in the same way to women, younger adults or people over 75.

The study did not test whether training balance lowers the risk of death. In our view, the most useful reading is that failing the test is a sign worth acting on, not a prediction about you as an individual. The authors suggest there is potential benefit in adding the test to routine physical examinations in middle-aged and older adults.

How balance differs with age

A 2024 study led by Asghar Rezaei at Mayo Clinic, published in PLOS ONE, tested 40 healthy adults over 50 in Rochester, Minnesota. Half were aged 50 to 64 and half were 65 or older, with equal numbers of men and women in each age group. People with a body mass index over 35, spinal or neuromuscular conditions, difficulty with daily activities, frailty, or who used a walking aid were excluded, so the results describe healthy adults, not frail older people.

The team measured grip strength, knee strength, walking and balance. For one-leg balance, each person stood on one leg with eyes open on a force plate, a floor sensor that records body sway, for a trial of 30 seconds, and the team recorded the longest time they held it. To compare changes measured in different units, the team converted each to standard deviations (SD), a measure of how spread out the group's results were.

One-leg standing time showed the largest gap per decade of age: 0.62 SD on the non-dominant leg and 0.53 SD on the dominant leg. Next came body sway when standing on both legs, at 0.41 SD with eyes open and 0.39 SD with eyes closed. Grip strength differed by 0.34 SD per decade and knee strength by 0.26 SD. The study found no clear link between age and walking measures, including walking speed. In our view, a group of 40 is too small to rule out a smaller change. Men and women showed a similar pattern in balance.

Drop per decade of age In standard deviations (SD), larger means a steeper decline with age One-leg stand, non-dominant 0.62 SD One-leg stand, dominant 0.53 SD Grip strength 0.34 SD Knee strength 0.26 SD 0 0.4 0.8
Source: Rezaei et al. 2024, PLOS ONE. 40 healthy adults over 50, compared at one point in time. Grip and knee strength were measured on the dominant side. Walking measures showed no clear link with age and are not shown. Body sway when standing on both legs, 0.41 SD (eyes open) and 0.39 SD (eyes closed) per decade, is also not shown.

This study was cross-sectional, meaning it compared people of different ages at one point in time rather than following the same people as they aged. It was small, and the authors note the group might not represent the wider population. The team describe balance as a skill that combines information from vision, the inner ear's balance system and the body's sense of position.

Why falls matter

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there were about 842,000 deaths from falls worldwide in 2023, making falls the second-leading cause of death from unintentional injury after road injuries. About 71% of those deaths were in adults aged 60 and over.

For older people living in the community, the WHO recommends tailored exercises that challenge balance and improve functional strength, with regular progression and sufficient duration, and lists Tai Chi as another useful option. It reports that a Cochrane review, a summary of many trials, found exercise in general reduced the overall rate of falls by about 23% in trial populations. The NHS (National Health Service) advises adults aged 65 and over to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week, and says these exercises help people who have fallen or are worried about falling feel stronger and more confident.

How to test your balance at home

Read this before you try the test. In our view, do not test alone if you have fallen in the past year, feel dizzy or unsteady, use a walking aid, have osteoporosis or numb feet, or have had recent leg or hip surgery. Ask someone to stand beside you, or speak to your GP (general practitioner) or a physiotherapist first. The NHS advises speaking to a GP first if you have not exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns.

These steps are ours. The 2022 study abstract does not describe the exact test position, so this is a simple home check, not the study protocol. Wear flat shoes with a grip, not socks, and clear rugs, cables and pets from the area. Stand facing a kitchen worktop, close enough to touch it. With your eyes open and your gaze on a point ahead, lift one foot off the floor and try to hold for 10 seconds without touching anything. If you wobble, put your hand on the worktop straight away. Do not try to save your balance with a hop or a step. Try each leg.

Your home result is a rough guide. It does not compare directly with the 20.4% or the 1.84 times figure from the study. In our view, tell your GP if you do not reach 10 seconds on one or both legs, if your balance has got worse in recent weeks, or if you have new dizziness or numbness in your feet. These signs need a check, not only exercise.

A simple 4-week balance plan

These steps are ours, not a tested programme. They follow the WHO advice to progress balance exercises over time and the NHS advice to train strength and balance on at least 2 days a week. If you were advised not to test alone, do not train alone either. Face a worktop for every session. Move to the next week only when you are able to do every hold of the current week without grabbing the support. If not, repeat the week.

1
Week 1: hold with support
Stand on one leg with a fingertip on the worktop. Do 3 holds of up to 20 seconds on each leg, on at least 3 days this week.
2
Week 2: hands free
Do 3 holds of up to 20 seconds on each leg with your hand hovering over the worktop, on at least 3 days this week. Put your hand down whenever you need it.
3
Week 3: add movement
Do the same holds while you turn your head slowly from side to side, or reach both arms forward and then lower them, on at least 3 days this week. Skip the head turns if they make you dizzy.
4
Week 4: retest and add strength
Retest the 10-second stand on each leg. Keep the balance work going and add strength exercises, such as standing up from a sturdy chair placed against a wall, 5 to 10 times, on at least 2 days a week.

In our view, stop and sit down if you feel dizzy, faint, short of breath or have chest pain, and get medical help if it does not pass quickly. Four weeks is a start, not the full dose. The WHO calls for sufficient duration, so keep going after week 4, and ask your GP or a physiotherapist for a plan if you are unsure whether balance work is safe for you.

Frequently asked questions

If I fail the test, will I die sooner?
Not necessarily. The 2022 study found a higher risk of death across a group of adults aged 51 to 75 who failed the test. In our view, it does not predict what will happen to one person. It also did not prove that poor balance causes death.
Does balance training lower my risk of falls?
The WHO reports that a Cochrane review found exercise in general reduced the overall rate of falls by about 23% in trial populations. The WHO recommends exercises that challenge balance and improve strength for older people.
How often should I train balance?
The NHS advises adults aged 65 and over to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week.
Did the 2022 study test balance training?
No. It looked at whether people were able to complete the test and followed them over time. It did not test whether improving balance changes the risk of death.
Is walking speed a better sign of ageing than balance?
This small study found no clear link between walking measures and age, while one-leg standing time showed the largest gap between older and younger adults. It compared 40 healthy people at one point in time, so it does not show that walking speed is a poor sign of ageing.

The bottom line

In a 2022 study of 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, the 20.4% who were unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds had 1.84 times the risk of death from any cause over a median of 7 years, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and health conditions. The study shows a link, not cause and effect. A 2024 Mayo Clinic study of 40 healthy adults over 50 found one-leg standing time differed more between older and younger adults than grip or knee strength. The WHO and NHS recommend regular balance and strength exercise, and a Cochrane review cited by the WHO found exercise reduced the overall rate of falls by about 23% in trial participants. In our view, test your balance safely, and if it is weak, train it with support close by.

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