In their study, researchers assigned 368 people 60-years-old and older who had received medical attention for a fall into one of two groups. The first group received hour-long individual tai chi classes conducted by tai chi instructors every week for 24 weeks.

Tai chi is an exercise practice developed in China hundreds of years ago. It combines certain postures and gentle movements with mental focus, breathing, and relaxation. Tai chi can be practiced while you’re walking, standing, or even seated.

Deep breathing, weight shifting, and leg stepping movements are part of the practice. The second group received individual, hour-long lower extremity training (LET) sessions for 24 weeks conducted by physical therapists. Sessions included stretching, muscle strengthening, and balance training.

(Pretty sure these are Chinese garden gnomes, not study participants)

The researchers asked participants in both groups to complete at least 80 percent of their sessions, and also to practice either tai chi or LET at home every day during the six- month program and the 12-month follow-up. During the course of the study, all participants kept diaries and recorded any falls they experienced, and they shared their diaries with researchers each month.

After six months of training, people in the tai chi group were significantly less likely to experience an injury-causing fall than were people in the LET group. Even a year after taking the training, people who took tai chi were about 50 percent less likely to experience an injury-causing fall compared to people in the LET group.

Source: Practicing tai chi reduces risk of falling in older adults -Health in Aging.org