Stand on One Leg

Quick Win

Stand like a flamingo to test your balance and help reduce your risk of falling.

Try This Today

1. Standing with your hand on a sturdy chair or table, bend your left leg at the knee so your shin is parallel to the floor.
2. Slowly let go of the chair and hold this position for up to 10 seconds, grabbing the support if you feel unsteady. Lower your leg. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
3. Now do the same, lifting the right leg. If this is easy, challenge yourself by closing your eyes.

Why

Daily balancing exercises can improve your balance and make a difference in overall health as you age. In one clinical trial of 344 people over age 70 who had experienced a fall, those who did a year of at-home balance and strength exercises had fewer subsequent falls than those who just had a doctor’s care, researchers reported in 2019 in JAMA. A variety of balance training approaches led to improvements in balance and participants reported fewer falls in a review of eight studies involving healthy older adults published in 2019 in Medicine.