U S News & World Report Study Finds Dancing Helps Seniors Avoid Falls Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 10 November 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles U S News & World Report Study Finds Dancing Helps Seniors Avoid Falls Exercising and dancing are two activities that can help older adults prevent falls, according to Cedars-Sinai geriatricians. Photo by Getty Images. U.S. News & World Report recently published an interview with Cedars-Sinai geriatrician Allison Moser Mays, MD, MAS, about how physical activity can reduce falls in older adults. Mays leads an ongoing Cedars-Sinai study that is investigating whether group workout classes can help seniors avoid falls while also reducing loneliness and social isolation. Supported by a three-year grant from the AARP Foundation, the Leveraging Exercise to Age in Place (LEAP) program has partnered with community groups to offer courses in arthritis exercise, advanced fitness and tai chi at no charge to more than 450 older adults. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the workouts have been hosted online. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death and injury in people over 65, Mays said in the U.S. News & World Report article, which originally was covered by HealthDay. Causes include reaction times slowed by aging, vision changes that affect balance, blood pressure changes and medication side effects. "Falls are not normal, even in older adults," Mays said. "It always should deserve a conversation with your physician." Regular exercise is the best tool for preventing falls, Mays said in the article. She recommended walking for beginners and online classes designed for seniors so this high-risk population can stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Choosing a fun activity can be good motivation, Mays said, commenting on a recent study from Swiss researchers that showed dance classes could help seniors avoid falls. "Not everyone wants to do a traditional exercise class, and so if you can get benefits from flamenco, then that's wonderful. It provides more options, more evidence behind different activities that are going to benefit our patients," Mays said. "I was very pleased to see that we're building evidence around dance and other fun activities as a way to help older adults prevent falls." Click here to read the complete article from U.S. News & World Report. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Marni Usheroff marni.usheroff@cshs.org Share this release U S News & World Report Study Finds Dancing Helps Seniors Avoid Falls Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home