Class Helps Seniors Keep Their Footing Through Ballet

Kaiser Permanente and the Sacramento Ballet have partnered to offer ballet classes to local seniors through the Fall Prevention Through Movement Program, reports KTXL Fox 40 . Participants, mostly women, visit the ballet once a week to work on strengthening their balance and posture. "It's more of just a physical awareness, and movement with music that is inspired by ballet," said instructor Cynthia Drayer. The program helps seniors cope with the fear of falling, which in older adults often leads to serious injury. "Becoming aware of how we plant our feet, how we use our muscles, how we consciously hold our upper body is all helpful, like your eyes, where you focus, how you hold your head in helping to prevent falls," Drayer said. Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento's Christine McGahey acknowledged that men have been less receptive to taking the class. The program is free to anyone older than 55.