Community-based group exercise improves balance and reduces falls in at-risk older people: a randomised controlled trial

recent studies have found that moderate intensity exercise is an effective intervention strategy for preventing falls in older people. However, research is required to determine whether supervised group exercise programmes, conducted in community settings with at-risk older people referred by their health care practitioner are also effective in improving physical functioning and preventing falls in this group.

to determine whether participation in a weekly group exercise programme with ancillary home exercises over one year improves balance, muscle strength, reaction time, physical functioning, health status and prevents falls in at-risk community-dwelling older people.