# Practise balance as you get older

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/balance-training/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-27
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 40 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#balance-training

Balance and functional exercise help older adults avoid falls.

**The number:** Balance and functional exercise: 24% lower rate of falls in older adults ([Cochrane, 2019](https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD012424_exercise-preventing-falls-older-people-living-community))

## The evidence

- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis: Cochrane 2019 review, high certainty balance and functional exercise result; WHO guidance
- Outcome: rate of falls in community-dwelling older adults
- Comparison: balance and functional exercise versus control in trials
- Impact: 65/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk.

## Why it matters

Balance practice trains the control needed to stay steady during everyday movement. In trials involving older adults living in the community, balance and functional exercise reduced the rate of falls by 24%. This is a reduction in the number of falls over time, not a guarantee that nobody will fall.

## How to do it

1. Practise near a solid support, or join a supervised balance class.
2. Include controlled weight shifts, stepping and getting up from a chair.
3. Combine balance and strength work on at least three days weekly, as WHO recommends for older adults.

## Talk to a clinician first

If you have fallen, feel unsteady or have dizziness, ask for a tailored exercise plan before practising unsupported.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 5 minutes: Read the NHS balance routine and its support advice; if you have fallen, feel dizzy or unsteady, start a request for a tailored balance assessment.
- 15 minutes: Do the NHS balance moves beside a wall or stable chair: sideways walking, heel-to-toe walking, a one-leg stand with a hand on it.
- 30 minutes: Find a local supervised balance or falls prevention class and check how to join; note any falls or dizziness to mention.

### What it looks like

- Ask about a supervised class that combines balance practice and leg strengthening.
- Practise slow sideways steps with a wall or worktop within reach to hold if you wobble.

### Common mistakes

- Trying balance moves without support raises the chance of a fall, so use a stable support and get tailored advice if you feel unsteady.
- Rushing to harder movements makes control difficult, so progress slowly and retain support when you need it.

### A structured start

**Build steadiness with suitable support**

1. Stage 1: Get tailored advice if you have fallen, feel unsteady or have dizziness.
2. Stage 2: Choose appropriate exercises and a safe support with your clinician or class leader.
3. Stage 3: Build a repeatable routine combining balance and strength, working toward three days weekly as appropriate.
4. Stage 4: Review control and confidence before making exercises harder.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Balance exercises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/balance-exercises/), NHS
- [Strength exercises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/), NHS

## Sources

- [Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community](https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD012424_exercise-preventing-falls-older-people-living-community), Cochrane, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Physical activity: recommendations from the 2020 WHO guidelines](https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/physical-activity), WHO Europe, 2021 (Tier 1 guideline)

---

General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.

Report an error: meet@jock.pl

Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/