XS1 Balance Assessment

The Balance Assessment is designed to evaluate your static balance, stability, and body control using a series of standing balance tasks. This assessment helps identify strengths, asymmetries, and opportunities to improve balance and movement control over time.

Estimated Time: Approximately 5 minutes the first time and 3 minutes thereafter.

INTRODUCTION

This Balance Assessment is appropriate for most users who can safely stand and balance without assistance. Tasks include standing on one leg and, for increased challenge, closing the eyes while maintaining balance. Any task that cannot be safely performed should be skipped.

The Balance Assessment evaluates:

• Stillness while standing
• Duration of maintained balance
• Body shift forward/backward and side-to-side
• Differences between left and right sides during single-leg stance

Results provide personalized balance insights and progress tracking.

BEFORE BEGINNING & SAFETY

Do not perform the assessment if:

• The ability to stand unassisted is lacking
• There is a recent history of falls or a feeling of being unsafe when balancing
• A medical professional has advised against balance testing
• Conditions exist that might lead to loss of balance (e.g., Acute Vestibular Crisis, Severe Orthostatic Hypotension, Acute Injury or Post-Op Status Neurological Instability, Decompensated Heart Failure, Cognitive Impairment)

Consult a medical provider with any questions. If you feel unstable or unsafe at any point, stop the assessment immediately. Safety First: Skipping any task, especially single-leg or eyes-closed variations, is encouraged if safe performance is a concern.

Setup & Technique

XS1 SETUP 

• Stand centered on the force plate surface

• Feet should be approximately hip-width apart

  On-screen guidance assists with proper positioning for the device

ASSESSMENT FLOW & TASKS

The assessment guides users through a series of six balance tasks, each with brief on-screen instructions and a countdown. 

Task Progression:

1. Both-Leg Stance Eyes Open
2. Both-Leg Stance Eyes Closed
3. Single-Leg Stance Eyes Open (Left & Right)
4. Single-Leg Stance Eyes Closed (Left & Right)

Eyes-closed tasks are more challenging and may only be appropriate when sufficient stability is demonstrated during eyes-open tasks. 

How to Perform Each Task

After the countdown, the trial begins and the timer starts counting up. The goal is to remain balanced as long as possible, or until the timer reaches the maximum time. If balance is lost during a trial and it does not stop automatically, press Stop. Retry may be used if the result does not reflect typical balance performance. If the trial is stopped during the countdown, or if a user is not detected on the force plate at the start, the trial will be considered invalid and can be retried or skipped.

Both-Leg Stance: Stand with both feet on the force plate, about hip-width apart. Weight should be distributed evenly, and the body should remain as still as possible. The task lasts up to 15 seconds, or until a loss of balance is detected or the trial is stopped.

Single-Leg Stance: Stand centered on the force plate. Lift one foot off the ground, raising the leg slightly forward with a comfortable bend in the knee. Balance on the standing leg as steadily as possible. If the raised foot touches down or balance is lost, the task should end automatically. If automatic detection does not occur, press Stop and use Retry if needed. The task lasts up to 15 seconds, or until a loss of balance is detected or the trial is stopped.

Eyes-Closed Tasks: These tasks increase the challenge by removing visual input. Get into position before closing the eyes, and close them only when prompted. Remain as still as possible throughout the task. These tasks may be skipped if it feels unsafe or unstable to continue.

UNDERSTANDING RESULTS

After completing the assessment, you will see a summary of your balance performance.  Results are always available for review. Each task is scored on a 0–100 scale, with higher scores indicating stronger control. Scores are based on multiple measurements captured during the trial, including steadiness, movement control, and how long the position is maintained.

Note: If a task is skipped, a score of 0 is recorded and included in the overall assessment results.

Assessment Summary Scores

At the end of the assessment, you will receive two primary scores:

• Average Score: Represents the average of all completed trial scores (including skipped tasks) and reflects overall balance performance.

   

• Symmetry Score: Reflects how evenly balanced your left and right sides are during single-leg tasks. Higher scores indicate greater left-to-right symmetry. It is calculated by comparing the difference between left and right leg performance, with a smaller difference between sides resulting in a higher symmetry score.

Together, these scores provide insight into both your overall balance ability and side-to-side control. Higher average and symmetry scores generally indicate stronger and more controlled balance performance.