Fortunately, there are ways to get a leg up on better balance. “Balance is not a trait—it’s a skill,” says Dr. Cory Calendine, an orthopedic surgeon at the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee. One way to practice: Stand beside a sturdy counter, lift one foot, and work toward holding the position for 30 seconds before switching sides.
Here’s why it’s worth practicing, plus how to get started.
There’s a lot going on to keep you from tipping over: Your brain processes information from your eyes, inner ear, and sensory nerves, while your muscles help keep you steady. When you lift one foot, for example, the muscles along the outside of your standing hip help keep your pelvis level. “All of these things are being coordinated for you to stand in one position without falling,” Calendine says.
Still, preventing falls takes more than good balance—you also need strong muscles to support you. A large Cochrane review found that exercise programs that focused on balance in addition to everyday movements, like getting up from a chair, reduced the rate of falls in older adults by about a quarter. While standing on one leg is a good start, it shouldn’t be the only exercise you do. “Balance is the front door, but strength is the whole house,” Calendine says.
How to stand on one leg to improve your balance
If you’ve fallen before or had a significant injury or surgery involving your legs, hips, or spine, talk to a health professional before getting started. Pozzi also recommends getting help if you can’t hold the position for 10 seconds. A physical therapist can assess your balance and suggest a routine that’s safe for you.
If that feels easy, you can start easing up on your hands. “Maybe you go down to one hand,” he says. “Then lighten your grip even with that one hand so that you’re really not relying on it quite so much.” Keep it close enough to grab the counter if you need to.
And don’t expect to be perfectly still. “It’s normal to have a little bit of wobbling,” he says. You might feel your ankle moving or notice small shifts at your knee and hip as you try to stay upright. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. But if you’re wobbling so much that you keep grabbing the counter or putting your foot down, hold on and make it easier.
How to make balance exercises a daily habit
Calendine works on his balance while his coffee brews, both at home and at work, giving each leg a turn. “Nobody even knows I’m doing it,” he says. “They’re standing beside me, but you can kind of hide it, which is nice.”
To make practicing easier to remember, she suggests pairing it with something you already do. Once you feel steady enough, try standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or taking a phone call beside your desk, with a sturdy surface nearby. “You’ve got to brush your teeth anyway,” she says. “Do it on one leg.”
Think you’ve gotten pretty good at the whole thing? Try briefly closing your eyes; without being able to see, staying upright gets trickier. “Always be near something you can grab onto,” Wright says. If you lose your balance, put your foot down and start again. “We’re trying to make this a lifestyle,” she says, “not a workout regimen.”
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