Exercise decreases the risk of falls in older people.
In a random sample of community-dwelling
people ages 68 to 85 years who had mild deficits in
strength and balance, Buchner and colleagues found
that a supervised exercise program resulted in significant
decreases in self-reported falls, outpatient
clinic visits, and hospital costs. Although no randomized
controlled trials with fall prevention as a
dependent variable have been done in older people
with diabetes, this should not preclude their participation
in supervised exercise programs.