1-3 people over age 60 will suffer a fall which breaks hips and other bones and puts their independence in jeaprody. Balance exercises are necessary as we get older and they are very easy to do. They don't require any expensive equipment either.

Find out more about how to do balance exercises

I know this is a fact. Every day when I get out of bed it takes me a bit to "get my balance" before I can walk steady.

My husband and I started doing Tai chi about 3 months ago and it really helps with balance. We started with a 6 week class and now we use DVD's at home. I also found a class at my local Y that I go to once a week.

Yoga is also good for balance and you can start at any age. I was 57 when I took my first yoga class.

I started yoga at age 64 or so, because I was getting a little iffy with balance. I'm still doing it 3-4 x weekly at age 76, and highly recommend it for balance and flexibility. And it feels SO good to get better at something physical at our age!

I read some horrific stat recently that said something like 80% of seniors who fall and break a hip will die from complications related to that hip fracture.

Balance, mobility, and flexibility do become much more important as you get older and yoga is a great way to improve all those. Basic bodyweight exercises also help.

We were walking around DC with our parents today and both of them are over 65. They were having a difficult time walking - they don't get much exercise. It would be great if we could talk them into some sort of modified exercise program for seniors.

Silver Sneakers is a great class for seniors who struggle with strength, balance, and mobility.

I started out taking silver sneakers classes at the local Y because I didn't want to be doing aerobics with 20 year olds. Those classes really do work all areas of the body and are great for balance.

I graduated into other classes and have been taking yoga for over 2 years now. That has really helped my balance.

My new book is titled:
Meditation and Yoga Midlife and Beyond for Physical Balance and Harmony.

My husband and I both in our 60s posed. It is specifically aimed for our age group and strengthening balance.

Available as an ebook here at BellaOnline or at Amazon.com

Here's the info article about it:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art68018.asp

My best, Susan Kramer, BellaOnline Meditation Editor

In Portsmouth (UK) the council health department was offering free Tai Chi sessions to help with balance and movement. With all the cutbacks I'm not sure if they still do, but it did help a lot of people.