Eyes-closed one-leg stance averages 15.2 s at 18–39 and falls to 1.9 s at 80–99
How long should you be able to stand on one leg with your eyes closed?
The finding
Best of three, eyes closed: 15.2 s at 18–39, 12.7 s at 40–49, 8.3 s at 50–59, 4.4 s at 60–69, 3.1 s at 70–79 and 1.9 s at 80–99.
- Authors
- Springer BA, Marin R, Cyhan T, Roberts H, Gill NW
- Published
- Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy 30(1):8–15 · 2007
- Evidence
- Read in the primary source; numbers checked.
- Source
- doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200704000-00003
How it was studied
549 healthy volunteers aged 18–99 (258 women, 291 men) at a US military medical centre. Barefoot, arms crossed over the chest, raised foot near but not touching the standing ankle, three trials per condition, 45 s cap.
The numbers
Times did not differ by sex (eyes closed p = 0.515) and fell with age (p < 0.001). Inter-rater ICC for best of three was 0.998 eyes closed. At 18–39 the women’s mean was 13.1 s and the men’s 16.9 s.
Eyes open, the means were 44.7, 41.9, 41.2, 32.1, 21.5 and 9.4 s: near the 45 s cap until 60, which is why the eyes-closed version is the useful test for younger adults.
What it does not show
A healthy, screened convenience sample. Means only, no percentiles.
What Longstanding does with it
The app scores the single-leg stand against this paper and uses its protocol. Its percentile spread around each mean is our estimate, which the app says. Its 18–39 band uses the women’s mean (13.1 s) rather than the total (15.2 s), which makes that band slightly easy. Balance norms do not differ by sex, so the app uses one table for everyone.