Single leg stance means balancing on one leg for a short time. In this version you stand with your feet together, lift one knee up in front of you, hold it briefly, lower it and switch legs. Most of the work is done by the leg you stand on. Its hip and ankle muscles keep your pelvis level and your body steady.

How to do the single leg stance

Stand tall with your feet close together and your arms relaxed by your sides, next to a kitchen counter or a sturdy chair you can grab. The voice guide puts the hands on the waist instead, which works just as well.
Gently tighten your stomach and buttock muscles, then shift your weight onto one leg.
Lift the other knee up in front of you until your hip and knee are bent to about a right angle, thigh roughly level with the floor. Only go as high as you can control.
Hold for a moment. Keep your pelvis level, your body upright and the knee of your standing leg pointing straight ahead.
Lower the foot back to the floor with control, then shift your weight and lift the other leg.

What you should feel

Effort in the buttock and around the side of the hip on the standing leg, and small corrections at the ankle and foot. Some wobble is normal, especially in the first few sessions.

Common mistakes

The hip on the lifted side dropping down.
Leaning your upper body over toward the standing leg.
The knee of the standing leg rolling inward.
Rushing the lift and dropping the foot back down.

How often

Many programs start with 5 to 10 lifts on each leg, holding each one for a few seconds, and build toward longer holds as your balance improves. Your physio will adjust the hold time and the numbers for you.

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 lose your balance and cannot steady yourself with your support.
Sharp pain in the hip, knee or ankle of the standing leg.

From the clinic

The person in the video balances without support, but you do not have to. Stand within arm's reach of a kitchen counter or a sturdy chair every time, and rest a fingertip on it if you need to. Clear away rugs and clutter first, and use a non-slip floor. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. If you have fallen in the past year, feel unsteady on your feet, or take medicines that make you dizzy, keep one hand on the support for every lift, practice only when someone else is at home, and ask your doctor or physio about a falls check.

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.

Watch yourself in a mirror for the first few sessions. The hip drop and the sideways lean are hard to feel but easy to see. If the knee lift is too much for now, lift the foot just off the floor and keep the same level pelvis. If you have had a hip or knee replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try single leg stance. Standing on the operated leg alone comes at a set stage of rehab, and some hip operations limit how high the knee can lift in the first months after surgery.

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