Do you fear a painful bone break an accident? Many Americans do. But according to a new study reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, exercise programs that include balance training can help reduce your risk of experiencing a painful slip and fall accident.
Researchers developed an Inter-Professional Falls Prevention Program (IFPP), to improve physical function and balance in seniors. Also, the program worked to reduce the fear of falling in the elderly with a history of falls.
Reuters Health reported that Catherine Sherrington, Ph.D., and her colleagues from The George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, conducted the pilot program using 9,603 men and women65 percent of whom were 75 years of age or older.
Combined data from these trials showed marked improvements in the participants balance strength and functional mobility. Whats more, the results showed that the participants fear of falling improved.
Exercises that produced the best results challenged the participants balance. An example included standing with legs close together or on one leg.
But exercise programs that included walking did not necessarily improve fall prevention. The research team said that walking could increase the risk of falls for seniors. They said more research could determine whether well-designed walking programs could prevent falls.