'I'm a doctor and doing 1 thing for 30 seconds will dramatically reduce risk of falling'

'I'm a doctor and doing 1 thing for 30 seconds will dramatically reduce risk of falling' Falls can be a serious risk for older people, potential leading to serious injury, and even a trip to hospital. One doctor has explained an easy exercise you can do which will help reduce your risk A part of getting older is having to be more conscious of your health. And one thing we have to be especially aware of as we reach our later years is falls. While children and young people can quite happily bounce right back up again after a fall, for older folk it can cause serious issues, and even injury. So it's important that, as we get older, we make sure to keep ourselves upright and balanced. Now one TV doctor has explained how you can do just that. Dr Amir Khan, who is a familiar face on programmes such as ITV's Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, recently posted a video on TikTok explaining five essential health tips for people aged older than 35. Among them is to train your balance every day - and Dr Khan explained a simple way you can do that. How to train your balance daily "We need to all be doing this," he said. "Train your balance daily. Balance relies on your cerebellum, inner ear, and tiny sensors in your muscles called proprioceptors. These systems decline after 35 unless you challenge them. "Thirty seconds standing on one leg while brushing your teeth is a really good way to train it, and train your core coordination and brain-body signalling. It dramatically reduces future fall and injury risk. So tonight, when you're brushing your teeth, do it on one leg." Dr Khan also outlined four other tips, saying each would "genuinely can change how you age". Getting some light in the morning "After 35, your circadian rhythm becomes a little less responsive," he said. "So five minutes of outdoor morning light hits receptors in the back of your eyes and it sends signals to your brain's master clock. That resets cortisol timing, boosts energy, improve sleep pressure at night, and even stabilises appetite hormones. It's the most powerful free tool we have." The circadian rhythm is your internal clock which signals to your body when to sleep and when to wake up. It also governs processes such as digestion and hormones. Cortisol regulates stress hormones. Boost the amount of oxygen you can take in The maximum rate of oxygen your body can take in is known as VO2 max. It can be used as a measure of fitness - the more oxygen you can absorb during exercise, the better, and Dr Khan called it "one of the strongest predictors of our health". "As we age, our heart becomes slightly less efficient at pumping blood and our mitochondria become less efficient at using oxygen," he said. "So, short bursts of intensity, such as 20 to 40 seconds of fast stairs, a brisk uphill walk, or a quick cycle sprint, forces your muscles to demand more oxygen than usual, and that stimulates new mitochondria and improves oxygen extraction." Dr Khan added: "So you don't need HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes every day, just a moment each day where your heart genuinely rises." Check your blood pressure at home Continuing, Dr Khan said: "Blood pressure creeps up quietly as your arteries stiffen with age. Checking it, say, once a month at rest gives you a baseline. If it's higher than 135 over 85 at home, do daily readings for a week and work out the average. If that's high, speak to your doctor. That average is what predicts your stroke and heart attack risk, not one random reading. And catching it early can make all the difference." Blood pressure readings are displayed as two numbers - the first is the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts and pumps blood, the second is the pressure when your heart rests between beats. Home blood pressure monitors are available from pharmacies or online. Build muscles and bones For his final tip, Dr Khan said: "From your mid-30s onwards, you slowly lose muscle fibres and bone density. Strength and impact exercises send mechanical signals through your muscles and bones, what we call mechanotransduction. "Your body responds by building them back stronger. This protects metabolism, joint stability, glucose control and long term fracture risk. So get them in twice a week." Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings