How To Maintain Balance As You Age — and Prevent Dangerous Falls

Falls are the leading cause of injury death for people over 65 years old across the country, and more than 1,800 older Wisconsinites died from them in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. 

But fall injuries don’t have to be so common.

Wisconsin Watch talked with local experts and attended three Madison-area classes designed to improve balance and prevent fall injuries: Stepping On, Parkour for Seniors and Ballroom Basics for Balance. 

Here’s what we learned.

Practicing balance can be fun

Children walk on curbs and twirl on purpose. But as people get taller, heavier and older they often stop practicing movements that help with balance, said Susan Frikken, a physical therapist and co-creator of Ballroom Basics for Balance. 

The class uses music and different dance genres to teach people to improve balance. Students often waltz on their tip toes, turn during tangos and switch from lead to follower to challenge their minds during salsa.

The nonprofit Safe Communities outlines its “Keys to Better Balance” on its website, including the balance exercises used during ballroom dancing and movements people can do at home. 

Throw away the throw rug

Loose rugs and cluttered walkways increase fall risk. Small home improvements like taping down rugs, installing grab bars and adding bright tape to stairs can significantly improve safety, according to the AARP.

AgeBetter Today provides free home safety assessments for older adults in Dane County. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, residents can ask their Aging and Disability Resource Center about local home safety resources. 

Talk about falls

Stepping On is a multi-week fall prevention course that has been shown to reduce falls by more than 30%. Wisconsin residents can find a statewide list of classes through the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. 

Attendees at a recent class in Madison reviewed the importance of regular eye exams. 

Marcy DeGreef, who facilitated the class, suggested discussing fall risk with health care providers. It’s important for people to understand how the medication they are taking might  impact balance, she explained. 

Additional resources

The National Council on Aging provides an online exam to help determine a person’s fall risk. 

The Madison School and Community Recreation program guide lists classes — like Parkour for Seniors —- that help people build fall resiliency. People can register online or get assistance by calling 608-204-3000. 

How to maintain balance as you age — and prevent dangerous falls is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.