Falls are a major source of injury and death in elderly people. Approximately 30% of individuals over 65 years of age fall at least once per year and about ½ fall recurrently. Over 90% of hip fractures are from falls. In 20% of females this fracture is fatal with 20% never regaining the ability to walk without assistance. The current total cost of hip fractures in the US is estimated to be approximately 20 billion annually.

Prevention is the key component of any program designed to reduce the problems associated with hip fracture. Medical research has proven that specific exercise programs are a useful tool in the prevention of falls in older adults. Using this up-to-date information, Dryden Sport and Spine has developed an impairment-based preventative program to combat falls and improve overall fitness. Functional and standardized tests are used to identify these impairments and include: TUG, gait speed, functional reach, sit to stand, and the Berg balance test.

In response to this need locally, Dryden Sport and Spine PT has developed a group exercise program entitled “Ageless Agility” that includes both exercise and education to assist in the prevention of falls. Our program assists in the remediation of identified impairments in the areas of strength, coordination, balance (static and dynamic), reaction time, and muscle mass. These impairments are identified individually in class participants through the battery of functional tests performed in the class.

Ageless Agility classes are held at our Dryden office two days per week for one hour. Our next session of classes will begin September 13, 2010. For more information, please call Dryden Sport & Spine PT at 607-844-5653.