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Practicing tai chi can reduce the fear of falling by strengthening muscles and training your body to maintain balance in a variety of positions. This ancient Chinese dance-exercise uses smooth, easy movements, and it really helps: In a study at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia, 45 women (ages 65 to 96) who did 30 minutes of tai chi twice a week for three months not only improved their balance, but also reduced their fear of falling by 30 percent.

“Many falls occur when someone is doing one thing and thinking about something else,” explains Steven Wolf, Ph.D., of Emory University in Atlanta. Tai chi helps your balance become automatic, keeping your feet under you when you’re distracted.

These three moves can be effective balance builders for older persons, says Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., a tai chi researcher at Oregon Research Institute in Eugene. With your doctor’s approval, do them twice a day at a slow, even pace, and your balance may be noticeably better in one month.