Should you improve your balance?
4/28/202629 min
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they turn their attention to balance. Where does it come from, why is it so important for our health, and do some people naturally have better balance than others? They also explore how much we can improve it, and what we should be doing to maintain it.
To help them find their balance, they’re joined by physiotherapist and vestibular rehabilitation specialist, Maggie Stacey.
Falls can have serious consequences for our health and wellbeing, especially as we get older. If you've fallen or are worried about falling, doing exercises to improve your strength, balance and flexibility can help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet. The current UK fall prevention guidelines advise that adults over the age of 65 should: - be physically active every day, even if it's just light activity - do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week - do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both - reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Maggie Stacey Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Visuals Producer: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChris van Tulleken· Host0:00
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Shoshana Ungerleider0:03
[gentle music] If you're a parent, you likely have a steady hum of questions following you around all day. Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Why does everyone on my feed have an opinion, and why does it all seem so urgent? I'm setting out to find some answers. I'm Dr Shoshana Ungerleider, and this month on my podcast, Ted Health, I'm investigating the intersection of health and parenting, getting practical tips to hopefully ease your parenting anxieties and help your kids feel calmer too. I'll share actual science, stats, and researched ideas from experts discussing everything from what happens when you let your kids roam free, to how adolescent brains work, to how you can best model healthy lifestyles for your little ones. Listen to this series only on Ted Health.
Chris van Tulleken· Host0:52
Xand, do you feel like you've got good balance in life?
Xand van Tulleken· Host0:59
Well, I mean, look, I've got two children under two. I've got a son who lives in another country. I've got a lot of work to do. I have my hobbies. They're not getting a lot of attention.
Chris van Tulleken· Host1:08
I'm talking about physical balance, Xand.
Xand van Tulleken· Host1:11
[upbeat music] Chris, that's very interesting, so I don't think I think very much about physical balance, but now that you've brought it up, I do have a lot of questions.
Chris van Tulleken· Host1:21
Well, luckily for you, you're gonna get those questions answered, I hope. It's the topic of this week's episode.
Xand van Tulleken· Host1:27
That is exciting. I'm Dr Xand.