Improve joints, brain health and blood sugar with Dr Zoe's 'TV ad-break' exercise

Improve joints, brain health and blood sugar with Dr Zoe's 'TV ad-break' exercise People could avoid an 'early death' by doing something like this little and often People could improve their health in more ways than just losing weight by picking up a simple TV habit that takes less than a few minutes each time. A doctor claims people could improve their brain health, joints, and muscles day by day if they maintain the habit. Appearing on a recent episode of ITV's This Morning, resident GP Dr Zoe Williams said that a certain habit would lower the risk of people facing an early death. The practising medic also shared a way that was "guaranteed" to help people get fitter and healthier whilst watching TV at home. She said: "A 10-minute brisk walk a day can reduce your risk of early death by 15%. That's something that most people can incorporate [into their day]." Dr Zoe claims that people don't need to instantly ramp up their dedicated time exercising, as even the small things "all add up". She said that going for the "harder option" over convenience will slowly add more activity to your day without you even realising, such as taking the stairs instead of a lift or parking further away in a car park. Some people could even manage to squeeze in their daily activity while watching TV. The doctor said: "The thing that I always bang on about on this programme is challenging our viewers to do 10 squats every time we have an ad break." Using This Morning as an example, Dr Zoe claims there are about 11 advert breaks in the programme on average. A typical daytime TV viewer who did this daily (Monday to Friday) would clock up 550 squats in a week. Dr Zoe said: "I guarantee that if you do 550 squats a week, going from zero to that and sustaining that for three months, you will increase your muscle mass. It's good for your brain health, and your joints will function better. It will literally be life-changing." By increasing your exercise daily, muscles use blood glucose for energy and make the body more sensitive to insulin, meaning your cells can clear sugar from your bloodstream more effectively for up to 24 hours or more after you finish moving. You could apply this idea to any TV programme, streaming series or even during the credits of a film. It is important to make sure that people are doing the exercise correctly to avoid risking an injury. To perform the most effective back squat, set your feet just outside shoulder width with toes slightly flared. Brace your core with a deep breath, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then drive forcefully back up. While they are a highly effective movement, people with specific physical limitations or injuries may need to change or avoid squats entirely. Anyone with existing knee, back or ankle problems, as well as anyone recovering from hip, knee, or abdominal surgery, should look for alternative exercises like step-ups or wall sits.