Engaging in some form of exercise activity such as swimming, tai chi or yoga can help seniors improve their balance.

As the U.S. population ages, healthcare providers are paying increasing attention to preventing falls. Injurious falls can endanger an older person’s independence, even his or her life. And the medical costs associated with them are about $19 billion a year nationwide.

Fear of falling leads some older people to believe the safest course is to move less, but inactivity will only increase the risk of falls, say geriatric-medicine experts such as Dr. Elizabeth Phelan of Harborview Medical Center’s Fall Prevention Clinic in Seattle.

Exercise geared toward maintaining lower-body strength and balance has shown to reduce the risk of falling in older adults, Phelan said. That’s one reason she tries to steer older adults away from prematurely relying on walkers, wheelchairs and motorized scooters, which can accelerate loss strength and balance.

Source: MiamiHerald.com

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