Dr Amir Khan has shared a simple 30-second balance exercise that could help reduce your risk of falls, and it can be done while brushing your teeth. The TV doctor, known for appearances on ITV's Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, outlined the advice in a TikTok video presenting five actions everyone over 35 should adopt, claiming each would "genuinely can change how you age".
One-leg balance while brushing teeth
"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."
Morning light and VO2 max
His second suggestion was to get some sunlight first thing in the morning. "After 35, your circadian rhythm becomes a little less responsive," he stated. "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 serves as the body's natural clock, signalling when to sleep and wake, and regulates processes such as digestion and hormones. Cortisol manages stress hormones.
His third recommendation focused on increasing VO2 max, the amount of oxygen you can absorb. Dr Khan characterised it as "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 stated. "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."
Blood pressure checks and strength training
Another measure he suggested is monitoring blood pressure at home. "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."
For his final recommendation, Dr Khan advised strength and impact exercises twice a week. "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."
