Carolyn Fenwick Physiotherapists

09/08/2026

Happy Women's Day🌸🌷

31/07/2026

If you have back pain, call us today. We can help relieve your symptoms and give you advice and exercises to help you recover and get your life back.

31/07/2026

You brush your teeth every single morning.
Two minutes, same counter, same mirror.

What if those two minutes were quietly rebuilding something your last checkup completely missed?

It's not about balance.
It's about whether six systems in your brain and body are still talking to each other.

Here's what's happening in those ten seconds when you stand on one foot.
Your inner ear, your joint sensors, your eyes, your cerebellum, your muscles, and your thinking brain all fire at once, in parallel, like an orchestra that has to play in perfect sync.

Balance is the only thing that requires all six instruments at the same time.
Strength only needs a few. Walking speed barely changes with age at all.
But balance drops like a cliff after sixty, not a slope.

And one brain-imaging study found that people who could not hold a single-leg stance for twenty seconds were significantly more likely to have silent blood vessel damage inside the brain. No symptoms. No warning. Just a wobble.

Researchers followed adults fifty-one to seventy-five for seven years. Those who failed a ten-second single-leg stance had nearly double the risk of dying from any cause.

The smallest place to start?
Stand on one foot while you brush your teeth tonight. Ten seconds per side. Your counter is right there.

I wrote a full article with the science and how to start. Read it below 👇️

Share this with someone who thinks their balance is 'fine' because their walk looks normal.

26/06/2026

Birthday party fun at the practice today🥳🎉. Happy 50th birthday Rehet and an early celebration for Kristy who celebrates her birthday on Tuesday🎂

21/06/2026

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads and father figures. We appreciate you!

13/06/2026

Wishing our patients a successful Comrades Marathon!

07/06/2026

Here is a simple test you can do right now: stand on one leg. How long can you hold it steady?

Research has found that the ability to balance on one leg is a meaningful marker of health and longevity in middle-aged and older adults. In one study, people who could not hold a ten-second one-legged stand had a significantly higher risk of death over the following years compared to those who could.

Balance, like grip strength, is a window into something larger. It reflects the integrated health of your muscles, your nervous system, your inner ear, and your brain, all working together. As these systems decline, balance is often one of the first things to suffer, and poor balance dramatically raises the risk of falls, a leading cause of injury and loss of independence in older age.

The wonderful news is that balance is highly trainable. Like a muscle, it improves with practice. Standing on one leg while brushing your teeth. Practicing tai chi or yoga. Walking heel to toe. These simple exercises strengthen the systems that keep you steady.

As a physician, I encourage people to treat balance as a skill worth protecting. It is not something you either have or lose. It is something you can actively maintain.

Test it today. Then practice it. Your future independence may depend on it.

How long can you balance on one leg, and could you practice it a little each day?

06/06/2026

Even though it is chilly, there is great benefit in going for a brisk walk. Try it this weekend.... your body will thank you!

28/05/2026

All exercise is beneficial to your body!

28/05/2026