Balance & Fall PreventionStanding, low impact5 minutes

Supported Single-Leg Hold

Five minutes of standing on one leg while holding a counter — the fastest way to build steadiness.

A good challengeLast reviewed 24 September 2026

Start guided session

6 steps · about 5 minutes. You can pause at any time, and every step shows a gentler alternative.

Step instructions shown as you goThree paces to choose from

SteadinessA counter, rail or the back of a sturdy chair

Why this routine helps

Three reasons this session is worth your ten minutes, and what you should notice changing over the first few weeks.

Read our full safety guidelines if this is your first week of exercise, or if anything here feels unclear.

Step by step

Open any step to read the full instruction and how to make it easier. The timing is a guide — going slower is always allowed.

Hands on, feet readyAbout 45 seconds
Stand facing the counter with both hands resting on it. Feet hip-width apart, knees soft.
Modify this move
Use a rail instead if standing at a counter is awkward.
Shift and liftAbout 45 seconds
Lean your weight onto your right leg and lift your left foot just off the floor behind you. Keep your hips level.
Modify this move
Lift only the heel, keeping your toes down, until it feels easy.
Hold and breatheAbout 60 seconds
Hold for ten seconds, breathing normally. Feel the work in the standing hip, not your back.
Modify this move
Start with five-second holds and build up.
Swap legsAbout 60 seconds
Place the foot down, settle, then repeat on the other leg with the same ten-second hold.
Modify this move
Rest thirty seconds between legs if you need to.
Second roundAbout 90 seconds
Repeat the hold on both legs, this time for fifteen seconds each if the first round felt steady.
Modify this move
Stay at ten seconds — consistency beats length.
Harden the challengeAbout 60 seconds
For the last round, lift one hand off the counter for the final five seconds of each hold.
Modify this move
Keep both hands down. That is still excellent practice.

Keep going

Balance & Fall Prevention
Sit to Stand Basics
The single most useful movement for staying independent — practised safely, ten times over.
10 minStandingBuilding up
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Heel-to-Toe Steady Walk
Slow, deliberate walking practice that sharpens the balance reflex in your ankles and hips.
10 minStandingBuilding up
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Balance & Fall Prevention
Clock Reach Balance
Reach toward the numbers on an imaginary clock face to train balance in every direction.
15 minStandingBuilding up
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Reviewed by Dana Whitfield, PT, DPT — licensed physical therapist specialising in older-adult rehabilitation.