Exercise Concepts for Fall Prevention

Exercise has been shown to effectively prevent falls in various populations, including healthy community-dwelling older adults as well as frail older adults, or persons with cognitive decline. As falls are the primary risk factor for fractures, the rationale is that exercise interventions should also protect against fractures. Evidence shows that multicomponent programs including balance and strength exercises are more effective than single-component programs, whether in a group setting or delivered as home-based programs. Additionally, growing evidence shows that holistic mind-motor exercises including multitasking may be more effective than exercises focusing on single physical functions. With increasing levels of frailty and comorbidities, supervised modalities are preferred over unsupervised settings regarding safety and efficacy. In general, exercise programs should be tailored to the individual needs and capacities and increase intensity progressively. For older adults, motivation to adhere is enhanced when exercise programs include balance components, show short time effects on physical function, and are perceived as social and fun activities