Positively 50+: Tai Chi builds inner and outer strength, fall prevention

SALT LAKE CITY — As we age, it’s easier to lose our balance, risking falls. In fact, 30% of all American adults over 65 fall every year. Salt Lake County has a program that might just help you prevent those kinds of accidents.

Linda Solomon teaches the low-impact martial arts class as part of Salt Lake County’s senior center courses.

“Tai Chi looks very easy, but it’s not that easy at first,” Solomon said. “It takes a lot of practice to learn the forms.”

Solomon said these forms help with flexibility.

“We focus on flexibility, strengthening muscles, relaxation,” Solomon said.

It doesn’t take an athlete to learn the forms or positions, but it might take a little patience. And the benefits are well worth the effort. Are you suffering from back pain? Problems with your knees and joints?

Solomon told KSL TV, Tai Chi could be the answer.

“It’s meant for older adults and people with arthritis. And we do it very slowly,” Solomon said.

During this National Fall Prevention Awareness Month, what better time to remind everyone, regardless of age, that it’s never too late to learn to take care of yourself.

“I think it develops confidence, and so people aren’t as afraid of falling. And we do work on balance, shifting weight,” Solomon told KSL TV. “We do that a lot so you kind of know where you are.”

If you’d like to find a class near you, click here for more information.