by Dr John Tickell

Your thigh muscles are so important as we age - especially for balance - so keep them strong by climbing some stairs.

After the age of 25, these muscles get weaker day by day by day.  By age 50, hundreds of people have falls, resulting in hospital and broken bones.  

To build the habit of strengthening your thigh muscles (if you're not already consistently going to the gym), start with climbing 5 staircases and add 1 more staircase each day and in a month and a half, you would've climbed 50. How good is that?

Take it easy and slowly, hold on to the rail when you when you need to and don't beat yourself up if you're lightly puffing or struggling a little bit. Everyone starts somewhere.

And remember, if you're feeling any neck pains and tightness of the chest, STOP immediately and go to your doctor as soon as possible to get checked out.