Sally, the more you practice balancing, the better it gets. For the past couple of years, I've been strengthening stabilizing muscles by standing on one foot or the other, first for just 15-30 seconds, and now I can manage over a minute. I've also been told by my doctor that there was a study a year or so ago showing that standing on one foot or the other for a minute each day decreases the risk of osteoporosis fractures significantly (20% I think?).
So, how do I remember to do that a couple times a day? Well, I have another bad habit -- I put a cup of coffee or tea in the microwave for just a minute, then get distracted / interrupted and leave it there to get cold again. Now, when I have something heating in the microwave for a minute or so, I stand there and work on my 1-footed balance! As a bonus, I can catch myself by grabbing the edge of the counter if I really lose it.
If I'm really ambitious, I throw in a few sets of "I's, Y's, and T's" with my arms... yes, while standing on one foot.
