Tai Chi and Yoga for the Active Adult

Adults who exercise don't fall as frequently.

Doctors and physio-therapists know that a simple program of movement that includes Tai Chi or swimming can make you feel more confident moving through life.

Moving through the water, specifically in activities like aqua aerobics, can build muscles and balance that can keep older adults from needing a cane, a scooter or even a wheelchair.

As you build up those muscles you can move up to exercises like Tai Chi or yoga that are a bit more complicated but focus on balance and relaxation.

"The only way to really improve balance is to challenge it."

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.

This is taken from an original article by Richard Seven in the Miami Herald (original link no longer available).