Matter of Balance

Housatonic Valley Health District is not currently holding any Matter of Balance classes. 

Check back at a later date. 

What is A Matter of Balance?

Many older adults experience a fear of falling. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater. A Matter of Balance is a program designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. A Matter of Balance community classes can be offered both in-person and virtually. The in-person Matter of Balance includes 8 two-hour sessions, and the virtual A Matter of Balance includes 9 two-hour sessions. Both the in-person and virtual sessions are led by two trained facilitators for a small group of 8-12 participants. This nationally recognized program was developed at the Roybal Center at Boston University.

Who should attend?

The program is designed to benefit older adults who:

• Are concerned about falls
• Have sustained falls in the past
• Restrict activities because of concerns about falling
• Are interested in improving flexibility, balance and strength
• Are age 60 or older, community-dwelling and able to problem solve

What do participants learn?

The program enables participants to achieve significant goals. They gain confidence by learning to:

• View falls as controllable
• Set goals for increasing activity
• Make changes to reduce fall risk at home
• Exercise to increase strength and balance