# You're sitting on the floor. Can you get up using only one leg? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653 "2014-11-04T18:38:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/1 "2014-11-04T18:38:36Z")
This is an ancillary to the [Can you get up without using your hands](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739739) thread. For most people simply standing up unaided is trivial. How many people can take it a step further? You’re sitting on the floor, in whatever manner you choose. Can you get to a standing position by only using **one leg** without touching the floor or anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/2 "2014-11-04T18:47:51Z")
Nope; I can get in to a squat on one foot but don’t have the strength to get up. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/3 "2014-11-04T18:53:38Z")
It depends on what counts as “with one leg”. From kneeling I can easily get into the bottom position of a lunge and stand up from there. That’s only lifting with one leg, but I’m definitely using the other for balance. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/4 "2014-11-04T19:20:51Z")
I’m not sure if this counts, but if I’m sitting cross-legged, I can lean forward a bit and use one leg to push off the ground to standing. But in the process of doing that, my other leg does touch the floor for a second. I tried sitting up with both legs extended in front of me, holding one leg off the ground, bending the other, and trying to stand without allowing the other leg to drop, and wasn’t able. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/5 "2014-11-04T19:21:25Z")
What I envisioned was putting one foot under your body, squatting on that leg (keeping the other leg more or less straight out), and then standing up. That is how I perform the feat, but there could be variations. The important part is to only have one foot touching the ground. If I have not done this move in a while, it can be a bit of struggle getting out of the initial squat, which for me is the hardest part of the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/6 "2014-11-04T19:24:32Z")
Don’t know, not gonna try. I think balance would be the tough part even if you have the leg strength. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/7 "2014-11-04T19:25:17Z")
Does your butt have to touch the ground? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/8 "2014-11-04T19:25:42Z")
Not gonna try. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/9 "2014-11-04T19:30:23Z")
Can I touch the leg I am using to get up? Like grab my knee? If so then yes I can. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/10 "2014-11-04T19:34:10Z")
'Course. 'Cause I Can. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/11 "2014-11-04T19:37:14Z")
I need to at least make use of the other leg (or a hand) to get one leg sufficiently centered underneath me that I can use it to push myself straight up. I assume that’s a ‘no.’ ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/12 "2014-11-04T19:44:41Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Can I touch the leg I am using to get up? Like grab my knee? If so then yes I can. If only one leg is touching the ground then, sure. Weight distribution certainly seems to be a factor in successfully standing up. Trying just now, I can make it out of the squat with my other leg tucked under instead of out, but it is much more difficult to do. The easiest way seem to be grabbing the foot of my non-squat leg and holding that it front of me as I stand. That method seems to be significantly easier that just holding leg out. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/13 "2014-11-04T20:46:43Z")
Yep, I can. In fact, my recent leg injury meant it was put to the test recently. It was one leg or find something I could crawl up onto. Of course, the balance issue I mentioned in the other poll is a double issue here. I would instinctively use my hands for balance and would have a good chance of falling over if I didn’t. But the strength is there. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/14 "2014-11-04T21:53:28Z")
I’m not actually sure, but I’m not gonna try, because I can easily see the result being: A. Injury and B. Feeling like an idiot when I explain how I was injured. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/15 "2014-11-04T22:54:02Z")
If I can get into a kneeling position, I can bring up one leg and stand on it alone, bringing the other leg up as I rise. So far I haven’t tried to get from prone to kneel without using forearm(s) for support. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/16 "2014-11-04T23:05:10Z")
A lot of hard miles and a couple of torn knee ligaments says no. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/17 "2014-11-04T23:20:43Z")
I can get up into a squatting position on one foot, but can’t push up from there. I did ride my bike to the gym today and do squats and deadlifts, but I don’t think I could have done it yesterday, either. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/18 "2014-11-05T00:48:51Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > What I envisioned was putting one foot under your body, squatting on that leg (keeping the other leg more or less straight out), and then standing up. That is how I perform the feat, but there could be variations. The important part is to only have one foot touching the ground. > > If I have not done this move in a while, it can be a bit of struggle getting out of the initial squat, which for me is the hardest part of the whole thing. I can’t quite make that move without using a hand on a nearby table to steady my torso. But I have the power to come out of the squat without using arms or other leg for lift. And the lunge technique **ultrafilter** suggested is easy. Of folks who can do it, I wonder how many can do it with either leg vs. with only one & not the other? My lunge-up is about the same on both sides, but the flex limit in my left knee is not as great as my right (old injury) so it’s a lot harder to squat up on my left leg. I can’t get my body as close to vertical on top of my left foot, so the balance at the bottom of the lift is much harder. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/19 "2014-11-05T02:21:34Z")
With my knees, I’m not even going to try sitting on the floor, let alone getting up using only one leg. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653/20 "2014-11-05T02:36:43Z")
Just tried, I can do this with both legs, with a caveat. I can’t place my foot flat on the ground and stand up that way. What I can do is lift from a cross-legged position putting all my weight on the outside of my foot (yes, it hurts). Then I can stand up with only weight on that foot. I get about 3/4 of the way up and then kind of shift my weight so I can straighten out and “fall” onto my other leg. In fact, come to think of it, I do this all the time with shoes on (it doesn’t hurt with shoes). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-on-the-floor-can-you-get-up-using-only-one-leg/703653.md?page=2)