Single leg stance with arm lifts means balancing on one leg while you raise one arm overhead and lower it, then do the same with the other arm. Each lift shifts your weight a little, and the ankle and hip of the standing leg have to catch it, which makes this harder than holding still on one leg. The voice guide asks you not to rest the lifted foot on the standing leg, so the standing side does all the balancing.

How to do the single leg stance with arm lifts

Stand beside a counter with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
Take your weight onto one leg and lift the other foot off the floor by bending that knee. Keep the lifted foot free, not resting on or hooked around the standing leg.
Sweep one arm out to the side and up until it points to the ceiling, keeping your body upright. Hold it there for a moment, then lower it slowly back to your side.
Lift and lower the other arm the same way. Your pelvis stays level and your trunk stays still while each arm moves.
Keep alternating arms for as long as your program sets, then put the foot down, rest and change legs.

What you should feel

Steady work at the side of the standing hip and small corrections at the ankle, most of all as the arm goes up. The arm itself should feel easy.

Common mistakes

Leaning away from the arm as it rises.
Resting the lifted foot on the standing leg.
Flinging the arm up so the momentum rocks you.
Letting the hip on the lifted side sag.

How often

Many programs start with 5 to 10 lifts of each arm while standing on each leg, 2 to 3 times, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
You cannot recover your balance without putting the foot down and grabbing the counter.
Sharp pain in the standing hip, knee or ankle, or in the shoulder as the arm rises.

From the clinic

The video shows the balance done in open space with both arms free. For home practice, stand with a counter at your side. While you are learning, rest the near hand on it and lift only the far arm, then turn to face the other way to work the other arm. Clear loose rugs and trailing cables away first. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet.

If you have fallen within the last year, often feel wobbly, or take medicine that can make you lightheaded, keep a hand on the support throughout and practice while someone else is at home. Your doctor or physio can tell you whether a falls check makes sense for you.

A sudden loss of balance is different. Call emergency services straight away for any sign of a stroke, even if it goes away: sudden dizziness with unsteadiness or falling over, a face that droops on one side, an arm you cannot lift or keep up, slurred or muddled speech, weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face, sudden blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight, or a sudden severe headache.

If a shoulder is stiff or sore, lift that arm only as high as is comfortable, for example to shoulder height, and the balance work still counts. After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed.

Plain single leg stance is the place to start if one leg is not yet steady with your arms still. Once arm lifts feel easy, single leg stance with head turns and single leg balance with a ball pass challenge the same position in other ways.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try single leg stance with arm lifts. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery. After a knee fracture or knee surgery, including a knee replacement, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. After an ankle fracture or ankle surgery, follow your surgeon's or physio's weight-bearing plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Single leg stance with arm lifts