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Finding Balance is an
Injury Prevention Centre program

NOT Falling for You prevents older adults from falling.

NOT Falling for You:

  • Offers weekly activity classes.
  • Uses easy-to-learn, specialized balance exercises. 
  • Is informed by the latest research.
  • Is provided at a low (or no) cost.

Participants in the program will:

  • Reduce their risk of falling.
  • Improve their balance.
  • See results in just a few weeks.
  • Gain confidence in doing the activities of daily living.

Classes are:

  • Led by older adult volunteers.
  • Held in-person at community venues.
  • 75 minutes long.
  • Hosted by community organizations.

Check out this video clip of a recent class.

Interested?

Who is participating?

Participants are:

  • Aged from 50 to over 90 years! There is no age limit.
  • Still living in their own homes.
  • Able to exercise without assistance.
  • Able to follow directions and learn new movements.

What are the classes like?

Classes are:

  • Offered in sessions of about 12 weeks in length.
  • Held once per week at the same time and place.
  • Held in a venue like a community hall or church.
  • Led by an older adult - someone who is in a similar stage of life as you.

Class content is:

  • 10-minutes: Warmup
  • 10 to 15-minutes: Leg and core strength
  • 30-minutes: Balance
  • 10-minutes: Cool down
  • 10-15 minutes: Discussion on a Falls Prevention topic

Class size:

  • Ranges from 8 to 20 participants.
  • Depends on the size of the venue.

NOT Falling for You classes are friendly and welcoming!

Is there a class near me and how can I join?

  • Classes are starting across the province!
  • Check the class calendar to see the locations, dates, and times.
  • Register with the organization hosting the class you wish to join.
  • If you don’t see one near you, call us at 1-780-735-3004 to talk about about starting one.

How much does a session cost?

  • Because classes are led by trained volunteers and hosted by a local community organization, the cost is kept very low.
  • Each Host Organization sets the price for their classes.
  • See the calendar for cost information.

What should I wear and bring to the class?

You should wear:

  • Comfortable clothing of your choice that allows you to move freely.

You should bring:

  • A bottle with water to keep you hydrated.
  • Your walker or cane, if you use one.
  • Indoor (clean, dry) shoes - especially if you are coming in the winter.

Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new physical activity.

I have some health issues. What should I do before joining a class?

Give your healthcare provider this description of the class so that they can advise you. There may be a treatment or clinical program that better suits your needs.

Use the Get Active Questionnaire which you can see here. Before starting a session, you will be asked to review and submit a signed copy of the questionnaire. This document will help you assess if you have issues you may wish to discuss with your healthcare provider before starting the classes.

I use a cane or a walker. Can I still participate?

Absolutely, yes!

  • Bring your walker or cane to class.
  • Ask your leader to demonstrate adapted movements.
  • Follow the adapted movements to safely participate while using your cane or walker. 

Getting the Recommended Dose

While a class once a week is a good start, research says that people get the most benefit from working on their balance for at least 1 hour, 3 times a week. To get additional balance practice here are 2 options:

  1. Exercises at home using the Finding Balance resources available at Resource Catalogue – Finding Balance (findingbalancealberta.ca) in the Movement and Exercise section.
  2. Check with Zoomers in Balance about registering for classes.

How can I become a volunteer peer leader?

Leaders are: 

  • People who can exercise independently for one hour.
  • Asked to commit to leading a class for a 12 week session.
  • Required to complete a free 1-day training course.
  • Required to have a current CPR certification. If you do not have one, the cost of a CPR course will be reimbursed to you.

If you would like to volunteer as a peer leader email Injury.PreventionEdmonton@ahs.ca

What training do leaders receive?

NOT Falling for You Leader training includes:

  • A 1-day course to learn to lead a specific set of balance and strength exercises. 
  • CPR-A or CPR-C training which takes approximately 6 hrs. to complete.

The course is based on a program called Purposeful Movement for Older Adults offered by Physical Culture Alberta. It is enhanced with exercises from Zoomers in Balance, the falls prevention program studied by the University of New Brunswick for its effectiveness.

Do I need prior experience leading exercise classes?

No previous experience leading exercise classes is required. 

All you need is the desire to help your peers reduce their risk of falling.

How can we become a NOT Falling for You Host Organization?

Community organizations that are interested in hosting a NOT Falling for You class can contact the health promotion facilitators at Injury.PreventionEdmonton@ahs.ca. They will work with you to build a program that suits your organization and community.

What kind of community organizations host NOT Falling for You?

  • Community leagues and organizations;
  • Seniors’ associations;
  • Municipal Family and Community Support Services;
  • Places of worship, such as churches, temples, mosques, synagogues;
  • Seniors’ apartment buildings. 

Who facilitates the NOT Falling for You program?

A partnership of organizations has come together to facilitate the program:

  • Alberta Health Services, Zone Health Promotion Facilitators;
  • SHAPE;
  • Physical Culture Alberta;
  • With funding from New Horizons for Seniors, Government of Canada.

The NFFY program is supported by resources from Finding Balance, an initiative of the Injury Prevention Centre.

Have Questions?

Email: Injury.PreventionEdmonton@AHS.ca

 

Finding Balance is a seniors' falls prevention initiative developed by the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Alberta.

Funding for the Centre is provided, in whole or in part, by Alberta Health. Provisions of funding by Alberta Health does not signify that this project represents the policies or views of Alberta Health.

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Injury Prevention Centre

INJURY PREVENTION CENTRE
4-248 ECHA, University of Alberta
11405 87 Ave NW
Edmonton AB T6G 1C9
tel: 780.492.6019

email: info@findingbalancealberta.ca

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