A kitchen challenge
How long can you stand on one leg?
Stand beside the worktop, tap start, and see how your time sits with published averages for your age band. Then send a card to someone who thinks they can beat you.
Before you start
This is a bit of fun beside the kettle, so set yourself up before you lift a foot.
- Stand next to a kitchen worktop or a sturdy chair.
- Clear the floor around you.
- Shoes off, or flat shoes.
- Stop if you feel dizzy or unsteady.
- Skip it if you have had falls, or a condition that affects your balance, and speak to a professional.
- If you are over 70, or you have fallen recently, have someone with you.
If you’ve had a fall or feel dizzy often, speak to your GP or call 111.
Beside a worktop or chair. Stop if you feel dizzy or unsteady.
Your go
Pick an age band and a leg. We don’t ask your exact age, and we don’t ask your name.
Age band
Which leg
Choose an age band and a leg to start.
Eyes open
seconds
Eyes open
Your time
Balance is trainable. A physio can show you simple exercises.
No GP referral needed. Book with Jill.
Sore feet can affect your balance. If hard skin, corns or awkward nails make standing uncomfortable, routine foot care can help.
If you’ve had a fall or feel dizzy often, speak to your GP or call 111.
Eyes closed is wobblier
Stay beside the worktop or chair, and keep a hand ready. Stop the moment you wobble. Skip this if you felt unsteady with your eyes open.
Share your time
The card uses your eyes-open time, so a friend is trying the same thing. Your age stays off it unless you tick the box.
Where the averages come from
Springer BA, Marin R, Cyhan T, Roberts H, Gill NW. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. 2007;30(1):8–15. Table 1, combined figures for men and women.
That paper also lists men and women separately, and it found no real difference between them, so this page uses the combined figures. Exercise & Sports Science Australia’s normative-data sheet reprints the same study, split into men and women. Where those splits differ from each other, the combined figure is the one used here.
A time under the average of three tries is called below typical. A time above the best of three tries is called above typical. A time between those two published figures, including either figure, is around typical for that age band. The published test stopped at 45 seconds. This one stops at 60, so a full minute is longer than the test those averages come from.
There is no figure here for under 18s. The study began at age 18.
Good to know
Questions people ask
Is this a medical test?
No. It is a kitchen challenge set next to published averages for healthy adults. It does not tell you what is wrong, and it is not a measure of how fit you are overall. If you’ve had a fall or feel dizzy often, speak to your GP or call 111.
Why does it stop at 60 seconds?
So you are not left standing there. The published averages come from a test that stopped at 45 seconds, with three tries. Here you get one go, and a second if you want it.
Which leg should I use?
Whichever you like. A lot of people start with the leg that feels steadier. The averages are not split by leg.
Do you keep my result?
No. The timer stays on this page, on your device, until you leave or refresh. Nothing is sent to the clinic, and nothing is saved in a cookie.