Practical examples of examples of balance tests for injury prevention

Real-world examples of balance tests for injury prevention

Let’s skip the theory and get straight into real examples of balance tests for injury prevention that athletes, weekend warriors, and rehab pros actually use. You don’t need fancy lab equipment for most of these—just a bit of space, some tape, and a willingness to be honest about how wobbly you really are.

We’ll move from simple to more advanced, so you can see how an example of a basic test scales up into more sport-specific assessments.

Simple at-home examples of balance tests for injury prevention

These are the balance tests you can do in your living room, locker room, or gym corner. They look easy on paper, but they tell you a lot about ankle stability, hip control, and how your brain and body coordinate.

Single-Leg Stand Test (eyes open and closed)

If you want the best examples of balance tests for injury prevention that almost anyone can do, this is it.

How to do it:

• Stand barefoot next to a wall or sturdy surface (for safety, not for cheating).
• Lift one foot off the ground so you’re standing on one leg.
• Arms can be at your sides or on your hips.
• Time how long you can hold this position without the lifted foot touching down, the standing foot sliding, or your arms flailing wildly.
• Repeat with eyes closed.

What to look for:

• Big wobbles at the ankle or hip.
• Hips dropping to one side.
• Needing to touch down in under 20–30 seconds.

Research on older adults and fall risk often uses some version of this test, because poor single-leg balance is strongly linked to higher injury risk and falls. The CDC highlights balance as a major factor in fall prevention for adults and older adults.¹

This is a classic example of a simple test that can flag problems early—especially after an ankle sprain or knee injury.

Tandem Stance (heel-to-toe balance)

If the single-leg stand feels too easy at first, a tandem stance is a nice bridge before you go full flamingo.

How to do it:

• Stand with one foot directly in front of the other, heel touching the toes of the back foot.
• Keep your feet in a straight line like you’re on a tightrope.
• Hold for up to 30 seconds, then switch which foot is in front.

Why it matters:
This test challenges your base of support and mimics narrow stances you hit in sports—think cutting, landing, or getting bumped mid-stride. If you’re swaying, stepping out, or can’t hit 20–30 seconds, that’s a red flag for stability.

Again, this is an example of a low-tech balance test that still fits nicely into an injury prevention screen.

Field and clinic examples of balance tests for injury prevention

Now let’s move into tests you’ll often see in sports medicine clinics, return-to-play protocols, and pre-season screenings. These examples of balance tests for injury prevention are especially useful for athletes coming back from ACL tears, ankle sprains, or concussions.

Single-Leg Squat Test

This is where balance meets strength and control. A single-leg squat is one of the best examples of a balance test that also exposes how your knee and hip behave under load.

How to do it:

• Stand on one leg, other leg slightly in front.
• Sit your hips back and bend the knee of the standing leg, like a mini squat.
• Go as low as you can with control (often to about a quarter or half squat).
• Keep your chest up and knee tracking over your middle toes.
• Perform 5–10 reps per leg.

What to look for:

• Knee collapsing inward (valgus), especially on the injured or non-dominant side.
• Hip dropping on the side of the lifted leg.
• Losing balance, using your arms wildly, or needing to tap the free foot down.

Studies of ACL injury risk consistently show that poor single-leg squat control—especially that inward knee collapse—is a warning sign for knee problems.² This is a textbook example of a balance test that also acts as a movement quality screen.

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT)

The Star Excursion Balance Test is a classic in the injury prevention world. If you’re looking for examples of examples of balance tests for injury prevention that are widely used in research, this is near the top of the list.

Setup in simple terms:

• Imagine a big star drawn on the floor with eight lines radiating from a center point.
• You stand in the middle on one leg.
• With the other leg, you reach as far as you can along each line, lightly tap the floor, and return to center without losing balance.

Why it’s useful:

• Tests dynamic balance, ankle stability, hip strength, and core control all at once.
• Commonly used after ankle sprains and ACL injuries.
• Reach distances can be measured, compared side-to-side, and tracked over time.

This test has been studied heavily in athletes, especially for predicting lower-limb injury risk.³ It’s one of the best examples of a balance test that blends performance and injury prevention.

Y-Balance Test (a streamlined example of SEBT)

The Y-Balance Test is essentially a simplified, standardized version of the SEBT, and another of the best examples of balance tests for injury prevention in modern sports settings.

How it works:

• Instead of eight directions like the SEBT, you use three: anterior (straight ahead), posteromedial (back and in), and posterolateral (back and out), forming a Y shape.
• You stand on one leg at the junction of the Y.
• With the other leg, you reach as far as possible in each direction, lightly tap, and come back.

Why it’s popular:

• Faster and easier to standardize than the full star test.
• Commercial kits exist, but you can improvise with tape on the floor.
• Research links poor performance or big side-to-side differences with increased injury risk in athletes.⁴

If you want a more advanced example of a balance test you can still run on a gym floor, this one belongs in your toolkit.

Sport-specific examples of balance tests for injury prevention

Once you’ve covered the basics, you can layer in sport-specific challenges. These examples of balance tests for injury prevention mimic the chaos of real play: cutting, landing, and reacting.

Single-Leg Hop and Stick

This one is simple to understand and brutally honest.

How to do it:

• Stand on one leg.
• Hop forward (or diagonally), then land on the same leg.
• The goal is to “stick” the landing—no extra hops, no big wobbles.
• You can measure distance or just judge quality.

What it tells you:

• Can your ankle, knee, and hip absorb impact and stabilize quickly?
• Is one side landing much noisier or shakier than the other?

For athletes returning from ACL surgery or major ankle sprains, this is a go-to example of a dynamic balance test. Many return-to-sport protocols include some form of single-leg hop testing.

Lateral Bound to Single-Leg Hold

Sports don’t happen in straight lines. This test brings side-to-side control into the picture.

How to do it:

• Start standing on one leg.
• Bound sideways to land on the opposite leg.
• Stick the landing and hold for 2–3 seconds.
• Alternate sides.

This is a sharp, sport-relevant example of a balance test for field and court athletes where cutting and shuffling are constant. If you’re collapsing at the knee or can’t control the landing, your risk of non-contact knee or ankle injuries goes up.

Single-Leg Balance with Ball Toss or Head Turns

Once you can balance in a quiet room, it’s time to add distraction—because games are never quiet.

Variations include:

• Balancing on one leg while catching and throwing a light ball with a partner.
• Balancing while turning your head side-to-side or looking up and down.
• Balancing while reading text on a wall or following a moving target.

These are real-world examples of balance tests for injury prevention that challenge your visual and vestibular systems along with your muscles. They’re especially useful after concussions or when athletes report dizziness or disorientation.

Organizations like the CDC and sports concussion programs emphasize the importance of balance testing as part of concussion assessment and recovery planning.⁵

How to use these examples of balance tests for injury prevention in real life

Seeing all these examples of examples of balance tests for injury prevention is helpful, but the real magic is how you use them.

Step 1: Pick a small test menu

You don’t need every test on this page. For most people, a simple mix works well:

• Single-Leg Stand (eyes open and closed)
• Single-Leg Squat
• Y-Balance or a homemade three-direction reach test
• Single-Leg Hop and Stick

These give you a nice blend of static and dynamic balance. They’re also realistic to repeat monthly or at the start of each training block.

Step 2: Compare sides and track progress

Injury risk often shows up as asymmetry—one leg is clearly weaker, shakier, or less coordinated.

Watch for:

• Big differences in how long you can balance.
• Shorter reach distances on one side.
• Messier landings or more knee collapse on one leg.

Those differences are real examples of your body whispering, “Hey, fix this before it becomes a problem.”

Step 3: Use test results to guide training

If your balance tests expose weak spots, that’s not a failure. It’s a roadmap.

For example:

• Wobbly single-leg stand → add more single-leg stability work, like single-leg Romanian deadlifts and balance holds.
• Poor single-leg squat control → focus on hip strength (glute work), controlled step-downs, and technique.
• Short reach distances on Y-Balance → add ankle mobility, hip mobility, and core control drills.
• Sloppy hop landings → practice landing mechanics, plyometrics with strict form, and lower-body strength.

This is how you move from examples of balance tests for injury prevention to an actual injury prevention plan.

Step 4: Retest regularly

Balance can improve fairly quickly with targeted training. Retesting every 4–8 weeks lets you see whether your plan is working.

If a test still looks ugly after a month of focused work, that’s a good time to loop in a physical therapist or sports medicine professional for a deeper look.

2024–2025 trends in balance testing and injury prevention

A few interesting shifts are showing up in the last couple of years:

• Wearables and force plates in gyms: More college and pro programs are using force plates and wearable sensors to measure balance, sway, and landing forces. You may see these at higher-end training centers, but the basic tests above are still widely used because they’re cheap and reliable.
• Integration with concussion protocols: Modern concussion management often combines symptom checklists, cognitive tests, and balance tests. Balance is no longer treated as a side note—it’s a core part of return-to-play decisions.
• More focus on female athletes: Research on ACL injuries in women’s sports is pushing for better screening of dynamic balance and landing mechanics in girls and women at younger ages.

Even with all the tech, the classic examples of balance tests for injury prevention—single-leg stance, SEBT, Y-Balance, hop tests—are still the backbone of most screening programs.

FAQ: Common questions about examples of balance tests

What are some simple examples of balance tests I can do at home?

Easy at-home examples of balance tests for injury prevention include the single-leg stand (eyes open and closed), tandem stance (heel-to-toe), and a basic single-leg squat using a chair or countertop for light support. These give you quick feedback on your stability without any equipment.

What is an example of a balance test used for athletes?

A classic example of a balance test for athletes is the Y-Balance Test. It challenges dynamic balance, ankle and hip control, and core stability, and it’s often used in pre-season screens and return-to-sport testing after knee or ankle injuries.

How often should I repeat these balance tests?

Most people do well retesting every 4–8 weeks. Athletes in-season might be checked a bit more often, especially after injuries or concussions. The key is consistency—use the same examples of balance tests for injury prevention each time so you can compare apples to apples.

Do poor balance test results mean I will definitely get injured?

No. Balance tests don’t predict the future with certainty. They highlight risk factors and weak spots. Think of them as early warning signs. If your results are poor, it just means you have a great opportunity to train those weaknesses before they show up as real injuries.

Should kids and teens do these balance tests too?

Yes, with some common sense and supervision. Simple examples of balance tests for injury prevention like single-leg stance, single-leg squat, and basic hop-and-stick drills are great for youth athletes. They help coaches and parents spot movement issues early and build better habits.

Balance testing doesn’t have to be intimidating or high-tech. With a handful of these examples of examples of balance tests for injury prevention, you can get a surprisingly clear picture of how ready your body is for the demands of sport, work, and everyday life—and where you should focus your training to stay on the field and out of the clinic.