Dr Michael Mosley’s wife and son have revealed that one simple daily exercise could help improve longevity. Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, a retired GP, and the couple’s son, Dr Jack Mosley, who have both recently followed in the late health guru’s footsteps with a series of health books, weighed in on an easy task that could prove vital as we age.

Famed for his 5:2 and Fast 800 eating plans, veteran broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley was known for shows like "Wonders of the Human Body" and "Secrets of the Superagers". He sadly died in June 2024 after disappearing on the Greek island of Symi.

In 2023, Dr Mosley referred to a study that suggested that an ability that can be trained by the daily task was the "single best predictor of who would still be alive" among the participants after a 20-year follow-up.

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In a post on Jack's Instagram page, Clare posed a question: "Did you know that being able to stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds in middle age is associated with longer lifespan?"

Jack added: "It's associated with less frailty, fewer falls and overall better brain health. In fact, it integrates so many different things that you don't think of – from coordination, strength, even your inner ear, and, of course, your eyes. It's a window into how well you're ageing."

In further comments about the task in the post's caption, Jack noted that forms of exercise such as dancing, tai chi and yoga are "enjoyable, health-affirming, excellent ways" to boost your balance.

He added: "And who could forget my dad, Michael Mosley’s, standing on one leg brushing your teeth. Not a bad way to fit it into your busy schedule."

Speaking to Masterchefwinner Thomasina Miers on the 15.5 Stories podcast, Dr Mosley noted that we "take it for granted", but balance is an "extraordinary thing", and there was a "practical reason" why we should continue to work on it.

He went on to claim that accidental falls were the "second most common preventable cause of death" around the world, highlighting a particular risk to older people and how they should "work" on their balance.

At this point, Dr Mosley explained that he likes to do this by standing on one leg for 30 seconds while brushing his teeth and then switching.

He also stressed that doing so with an electric toothbrush was the preferred method.

He added: "There are lots of benefits to it, not just in terms of balance. There was a study done some years ago which was published in the BMJ where they got a group of middle-aged people and they ran a bunch of tests on them and one of them was their ability to stand on one leg. Could they do it for a minute or not.

“Twenty years later they followed them up to see what had become of them. And that was the single best predictor of who would still be alive. Of life expectancy — that was it.”