Should you improve your balance?

Should you improve your balance?

From What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

April 28, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 136

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of balance for health and how it can be improved, featuring insights from physiotherapist Maggie Stacey.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris van Tulleken, Xand van Tulleken

Guest: Maggie Stacey

Topics covered

  • balance
  • health
  • fall prevention
  • physiotherapy
  • wellbeing

Keywords

  • balance
  • health
  • falls
  • physiotherapy
  • strength
  • flexibility
  • wellbeing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4

More episodes of What's Up Docs?

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the What's Up Docs? podcast page.