Doctor Michael Mosley's teeth-brushing habit helps improve balance as you age

26 September 2023 , 20:00

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Doctor Michael Mosley's teeth-brushing habit helps improve balance as you age

While ageing is inevitable, there are certain things we can do to ensure we're looking after our health, no matter what. Health expert Dr Michael Mosley explains that you don't need to overhaul your life completely as small changes can make a big difference to your life.

In his book, Just One Thing: How Simple Changes Can Transform Your Life, the health guru outlined things you can do to help you have a better mood, a sharper brain and reduce the risk of disease. In it, he has revealed his one unusual teeth-brushing habit that will help improve your balance as you age.

One of his most unique pieces of advice is to stand on one leg when brushing your teeth. Dr Mosley said he does this himself, and ensures that he switches between his left and right, and back again, every 30 seconds or so. He said this is a great way to improve your balance, which is very important as you age.

As we hit our 40s and 50s we start to lose our ability to balance. Falls are the second most common cause of accidental death worldwide, so it's an important skill to practice. The health expert, who is the brains behind the popular 5:2 and Fast 800 diet, said that the simple trick of balancing on one leg was the "number one" predictor in a scientific study of whether a person could live for longer.

Michael said that if people can include this balancing act in their busy lives, then they can improve their chances of staying alive for longer. According to the health guru, balancing can challenge the brain in a variety of ways while also benefiting leg muscles, enhancing balance and coordinating with the inner ear. He added that using an electric toothbrush is better while balancing, as using a normal toothbrush can be "really tough".

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Previously discussing the unusual life hack on the 15.5 stories broadcast, which was led by MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers, he said: "Balance is something we don’t really think about that much because we take it for granted. But actually, balance is an extraordinary thing. We are pretty much the only mammal that can stand on two legs.

"Particularly as people get older they fall, they break a hip or something like that so you kind of want to work on your balance. You can do it by doing tai chi or yoga but I like to do it by standing on one leg when I’m brushing my teeth. So it's another example of something I already do which is I brush my teeth for two minutes in the morning and the evening and so why not incorporate standing on one leg? I stand on one leg for 30 seconds then I switch to the other one."

Billie Schwab Dunn