Prevent Falls with Yogaby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 12 Apr 2008 05:28 PM Research from Temple University's Gait Study Center suggests that practicing a specific type of yoga can help prevent falls in women over the age of sixty-five. The Temple University study looked at participants in an Iyengar yoga program specifically designed for senior citizens who had little or no previous yoga experience. Why Iyengar yoga? The technique uses props like belts and blocks to help participants master poses gradually. Participants often feel more confident and comfortable working with the props. The class covered the most basic moves and techniques with an emphasis on proper breathing, stances, and poses. After nine weeks of Iyengar yoga classes, the twenty-four participants experienced:
Some participants who had previous (and unrelated) back and knee pain reported a reduction or even elimination of pain by the end of the study. Study authors were very pleased with the results -- and with the progress participants made. The findings suggest that improving balance and stability through yoga can indeed reduce a senior citizen's risk of falling. Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury and hospital admission in people aged sixty-five and older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, nearly a third of all senior citizens suffer some type of fall each year. Previous studies on the connection between yoga and fall prevention chose other types of yoga. Study authors hope to find funding for a follow-up study that looks at how Iyengar yoga in particular can affect foot function to improve balance and stability. Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevanthealth tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags falls, falling, senior, senior health, yoga Discuss this article
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