Your PT might call that use of little muscles "propioception".

For about six years I had two weeks a month in conference rooms with the same people - so it was casual. You could get up and do whatever you needed.

To stay awake when we weren't doing my stuff, I'd stand at the back of the room (next to the donuts) and play "balance" games. One foot. One foot, arms crossed. One foot, arms crossed and eyes closed (expert level for me at least). The most challenging was 10, 20 or (only once) 30 minutes on one foot. Wow was that painful! I'd be sore the next day from all of those little muscles working to keep me upright.

But then again, as a tele skier, my preseason conditioning is 100 back-foot "lunge-dips" on one leg while I brush my teeth. Yah, total wierdo...

So based on that, I should be immortal.

Use it or lose it!
I never really thought about until I was at Pysio for my back and she asked me to stand on one leg.
Holy f##k! This didn't use to be a problem! (I can go more than 10 seconds, but it use to be eternity)

OK.

Now I want you to try standing on one leg with your eyes closed.

Stand on one leg - indefinitely, except bleary-eyed in the morning trying to get my pants on.

Are you pulling my leg?

I'm dropping by KFC tomorrow .... original or extra crispy?

Based on this, my one-legged coworker will live forever!

A lot harder to do with your eyes closed
gary

On my left leg yes but not the right leg. That's the side with most of my nerve damage.

So, yes to "I think it's all of the tiny little muscles in your legs and torso working in conjunction." At least for me.

LOL! I'm sure he'd take a second if offered, but I guess there's a silver lining!
Yes, I thought it was interesting when I noticed how much balance is affected by having your eyes closed.

HA! I'm like a pendulum with an increasing period when I try it.

The eyes closed credits go to my physio.

I had a sprained ankle and was doing exercises on the wobble board thing and he said now do it with your eyes closed. Twice as uncomfortable and introduces different muscles into it.

Standing on one leg eyes open, as long as I like I guess. With eyes closed about 10 seconds.

Mine was good enough in my 40's...but I doubt it would support my weight today.

The middle leg and we'll all be impressed

Mom must have read some article in JAMA about standing on one leg last year.

She is doing better since I showed her a good piriformis stretch

(crossing fingers/whatever else not to jinx myself)

I've never really fallen on the ice (and I do live with ice, so this isn't some San Diego flex) - I've slipped many times but always get the "magic foot" down and catch myself. I'm still a young-ish 48yo, so it's nothing heroic, but I think core strength and all of those little other muscles in the legs really help. Another 40-50 years of the same would be welcome...

That one makes my knees feel like they're going to explode, but I do try.