Exercise to prevent falls

Regular exercise makes you stronger, improves your balance and helps prevent falls. Evidence shows that balance and strength exercises are the most beneficial in preventing falls.

• Ask your health care provider, or call 811 and speak to an exercise professional to find the best type of exercise program for you.
• Do at least 30 minutes of activity every day. You can break this into three sessions that last 10 minutes.
• Choose activities that you enjoy.
• Try all three kinds of physical activity:
  • Strength and balance exercises, such as lifting light weights, stair climbing, tai chi.
  • Endurance exercises, such as walking and dancing.
  • Flexibility exercises, such as tai chi, stretching and yoga.

Get more exercise tips by visiting the exercise section on the FindingBalance BC website.

A physiotherapist can help design a simple program you can do on your own to help keep you moving, and does not require a doctor’s referral.

Find physiotherapist in B.C. by searching the Physiotherapy Association of B.C.'s website.

• Fraser Health's Your Guide to Independent Living Booklet
  Information on how to prevent falls and reduce injuries.
• Falls prevention brochure
  Information on four things you can do to prevent falls.
• FindingBalance BC: Falls and Injury Prevention Coalition 
  Resources for older adults, including exercises and home safety for reducing fall risk.
• HealthLink BC: Seniors' falls can be prevented
  Prevention tips to help seniors avoid falling.
• BC Injury and Prevention Unit
  Injury prevention resources supporting the integration of prevention practice, especially fall prevention into the daily lives of British Columbians.
• Parachute
  Builds awareness and understanding of the issue of injury, to keep Canadians safe at home, on the road, at work, and at play.
• Health Canada: Aging and seniors publications
  The publications of the Division of Aging and Seniors are a great source of reliable information about aging in Canada.