Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older. Elderly patients are three times as likely to die following a ground-level fall compared to adults younger than 70. Roughly, 9,500 deaths in older Americans are associated with falls (and lack of balance) each year. Among people aged 65-69, one out of every 200 falls results in a hip fracture, say the experts. But falls are preventable!

It’s not easy getting older. Most human physical capabilities–like strength, balance, and muscle size–decrease as we age, and flexibility is no exception. After 45, or so, once flexible and limber bodies become gradually more stiff and tight with each passing year. To add insult to injury, we then lose elasticity in our skin, that supportive tissue in between our vertebrae. We also lose “plasticity,” or the ability of the body and brain to adapt over time.

Roughly 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with PD each year, and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with it. Incidence of Parkinson's disease increases with age, yet 4% percent of people are diagnosed before age 50. The neurodegenerative disorder is caused by the gradual reduction of a chemical in the brain called dopamine, and symptoms generally develop slowly over years.