The Ten-Second Test That Predicts How You'll Move at 80
Written by the Editorial Team.
Standing on one leg for ten seconds sounds trivial until a 2022 study of 1,702 people tied failing it to an 84 per cent higher risk of death within seven years. The editorial team explains the test, why balance fades earlier than most people realise, and how Barre trains it almost by accident.
It takes ten seconds and no equipment: stand on one leg, the other foot resting against the standing calf, arms by your sides, and hold. Most people assume they would pass without trying. A landmark study found one in five adults between 51 and 75 could not.
Unable to hold it for ten seconds meant an 84 per cent higher risk of death within seven years, even after accounting for age and health conditions.
Balance is not usually framed as a longevity metric. The evidence increasingly suggests it should be treated as one, and treated earlier than most women currently think to.
The study behind the number
In 2022, Claudio Gil Araújo and an international team of researchers published a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine following 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75 for a median of seven years.
Participants attempted the ten-second one-legged stance at the start of the study, and 20.4 per cent were unable to complete it. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and existing health conditions, those unable to hold the stance had an 84 per cent higher risk of dying from any cause over the follow-up period than those who could.
Araújo, who has worked with cardiac patients for four decades, has called the finding more predictive of survival in this age range than a diagnosis of coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, which is a striking claim for a test that takes ten seconds and no equipment.
Why balance fades earlier than people expect
Unlike muscular strength and aerobic fitness, which decline gradually across many decades, balance tends to hold up reasonably well until roughly the sixth decade of life, and then begins to wane more rapidly.
That later, sharper decline is part of why balance training rarely makes it into a woman's exercise routine in her forties: strength and cardio losses are already visible and motivating by then, while balance loss has not yet announced itself.
Why nobody tests for this
Balance assessment is not a routine part of a health check at any age, partly because there has historically been little standardised data linking simple balance tests to clinical outcomes beyond falls.
The Araújo study is part of a shift in that evidence base, making the case that balance deserves the same early, proactive attention that blood pressure and cholesterol already receive, rather than being addressed only after a fall has already occurred.
Where Barre trains this almost by accident
Rob Glick, senior director of group fitness at Life Time and creator of its Barre programme, has described Barre as training flexibility, endurance, balance, strength and coordination in a single format, precisely the capacities that tend to decline together.
The bar itself creates a structural advantage most balance exercises lack: a woman can progress from two hands on the bar, to one hand, to no hands at all, within the same exercise, which functions as graded, self-paced balance training built into the format rather than requiring a separate balance-specific routine.
What the controlled research found
A twelve-week study conducted by the University of Exeter with Pvolve, a low-impact functional fitness method built on similar controlled-movement principles to Barre, followed 72 women aged 40 to 60 and found measurable gains in balance and mobility alongside strength and flexibility.
Harvard-trained physiologist Nima Alamdari, who advised on the research, noted that the finding underscored a gap the fitness industry has largely ignored: women's bodies need age-appropriate, functional training that specifically includes balance, not just strength and cardio.
Testing yourself safely at home
The test itself is simple and low-risk when done correctly: stand near a wall or counter for safety, lift one foot so it rests lightly against the opposite calf, keep your arms at your sides, and time how long you can hold the position before touching down or losing balance, allowing up to three attempts.
A wall or countertop within reach removes the fall risk that would otherwise make self-testing unwise.
Building it back, progressively
Balance training responds well to progressive challenge in the same way strength does: begin with both hands on a support, progress to one hand, then a fingertip, then no support at all, adding a few seconds of hold time as each level becomes comfortable.
Two to three short sessions a week, five to ten minutes each, are enough to produce measurable improvement over several weeks, according to the balance-training literature this area draws on.
What this changes
A ten-second test rarely feels like it deserves the weight this evidence gives it, which is exactly why it gets overlooked.
Building this capacity now, while it is still straightforward to build, is a quieter, less dramatic decision than starting a new cardio routine, and the evidence suggests it may matter just as much for how independently a woman moves through her eighties.
That is Calm Power in one of its most literal forms: steadiness, built deliberately, before it is tested by a fall rather than a stopwatch.
What's next
For the wider picture on building capacity that lasts, read Longevity Begins at Your Desk.
Then explore our Longevity collection for more on the capacities worth building now.
For the wider picture on energy, sleep and hormones after 40, explore our Lifestyle Medicine for Women 40+ resource.
Ready to understand your current recovery needs more precisely?
The Free Calm Power Assessment at Calmfidence World maps where you are now and what your body may need most.
FAQ
How do I test my balance at home safely?
Stand near a wall or counter, lift one foot to rest against the opposite calf, keep your arms by your sides, and time how long you can hold the position before touching down, allowing up to three attempts.
Practical step: keep a hand near, but not on, a stable surface the first few times you try this.
What counts as a good result at 45?
The benchmark from the supporting research is completing a full ten seconds. Falling meaningfully short of that is worth treating as a signal to begin balance-specific training rather than a cause for alarm.
Practical step: retest every four to six weeks in the same conditions to track genuine progress rather than day-to-day variation.
Can balance be rebuilt after it has declined?
Yes, balance responds to progressive training in a similar way to strength, and even short, consistent sessions have been shown to produce measurable improvement over several weeks.
Practical step: start with both hands supported and remove support gradually as each level becomes comfortable, rather than attempting an unsupported hold too soon.
How often should I train balance specifically?
Two to three short sessions a week, five to ten minutes each, are generally enough to produce measurable improvement, according to the balance-training literature this area draws on.
Practical step: attach a balance drill to something you already do daily, such as brushing your teeth, to make consistency easier.
Does a Barre class count as balance training?
Yes, meaningfully. The bar's ability to reduce support progressively, two hands to one to none, functions as graded balance training within a typical class, alongside its strength and flexibility benefits.
Practical step: notice how much you rely on the bar during a class and try removing one hand at a time as you feel steadier.
Who should get medical advice before testing or training balance?
Anyone with a history of falls, dizziness, vertigo, inner ear conditions, or a neurological condition affecting balance should consult a doctor before self-testing or beginning unsupervised balance training.
Practical step: describe any dizziness or near-falls specifically to your doctor, since these details help identify the underlying cause.
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