VENTURA, California – The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s award-winning Fall Prevention Program is offering several classes that focus on increased mobility and balance. New classes are currently scheduled to begin in January at several sites across the county. All classes are free and open to the public.
Enrollment is currently available for three classes. Please click on each PDF for times and locations.
A Matter of Balance is designed for those 60 and older who are inactive with poor balance, who have fallen, and who may have developed a fear of falling. Participants should expect to begin an easy-to-do regimen to improve balance, strength, flexibility and self-confidence. This class is held once a week for eight weeks and includes chair-based exercises.
Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is an exercise program developed especially for older adults using modified practices designed to improve and strengthen balance and mobility. Classes are intended for beginners. Canes and walkers are welcome. This class if proven to reduce falls by 55 percent.
Walk With Ease is an exercise program that can reduce pain and improve overall health. This is a six-week program developed by the Arthritis Foundation that helps participants create a customized walking plan to stay motivated, manage pain and exercise safely to stay strong, boost energy and control weight. Participants walk together three times a week, starting slow and building up to walking for a total of 30 minutes.
Individuals concerned about falls or those who have recently experienced a fall, as well as those who are interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength, are encouraged to participate. Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.
For more information or to register for classes, call (805) 477-7300 and choose option 6.
