At Life Motion Balance Center, we focus on helping people regain their balance and prevent falls. We begin with an evaluation where we assess their functional deficits and come up with a problem list.
I want to show you a quick test that helps us predict risk of falling. I’m going to ask Maria to cross her arms in front of her chest. And then I’m going to ask her to stand on one leg for as long as she can without losing her balance. And I’m going to time this. I’m going to see how long she can stand on one leg.
For her age group all the way up to 60, 30 seconds is normal for that age group. And you can relax. For 60 to 69, 25 seconds is normal. From 70 to 74, 14 seconds is normal. And then 80 and up, we want at least 10 seconds standing on one leg. The ten second mark is a predictive factor in having a lower risk of falling. We can also use this as an exercise at home to help people train their balance and also their functional leg and ankle strength. So I would recommend to someone at home that they do this two to three times alternating between each leg, trying to hold it 30 seconds, but doing it safely, where they have something to hold onto.
If holding your single leg stand is challenging for you, then I would recommend a physical therapy consult.
