Getting a leg up usually means getting an advantage. It could also refer to an advantage during aging, since balancing on one leg at a time is predictive of risk of falls as we get older. The Mayo Clinic researchers reported in the journal PLOS ONE that how long a person can stand on one leg may be a better measure of neuromuscular aging than his or her walking pattern. They found standing on one leg for thirty seconds is considered very good, while less than five seconds is cause for concern about falls, especially as we get older. If you need to improve your one-legged balance, one recommendation is to practice. Unless there are underlying causes for balance issues, walking and strength training may help improve or maintain balance as we age.