What does it mean to age with confidence?
It might mean feeling steady enough to join a favorite class. Getting out to see friends. Continuing to do things for yourself. Or simply trusting your body enough to keep trying something new. These everyday moments are at the heart of Vivalon’s approach to falls prevention. Something remarkable happens in Vivalon’s movement classes.
Our instructors see people arrive unsure of what their bodies can do. Some haven’t exercised in years. Others are navigating changes in balance or mobility, or have simply lost some of the confidence they once had in their own movement. Then, little by little, things begin to change.
They stand a little taller. They move for longer periods of time. They rely less on the chair beside them. They begin to trust their bodies again. And often, they start encouraging the person next to them, too.
Vivalon instructor Leela Satyendra calls it “transformation.” She has watched one participant go from sitting through an entire class to, a year later, standing for all of Tai Chi and most of Qi Gong.
And Strength in Balance instructor Roberta Dillon sees a similar shift. Participants who may not have been exercising discover what they are capable of, building from sitting to standing to moving for longer periods. As she describes it, the realization becomes: “YES I CAN.”
That’s what falls prevention can make possible.
And for the people in these classes, those changes can mean much more than improving balance or getting stronger. Vivalon participant Mimi recently shared what the experience has meant to her and her classmates:
“They are where we regain strength we thought we had lost, where we rebuild confidence after falls or injuries, and where we find community, hope, and joy in movement again.”
Her words are a reminder that the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.
During Falls Prevention Awareness Week, September 21–26, our community will come together to learn, move, ask questions, and discover new ways to build strength and confidence, but this work doesn’t begin or end with one week. It happens throughout the year: in classes that meet people where they are, rides that keep people connected to appointments and community, nutritious meals delivered to the door, and opportunities to keep participating as needs change.
This work is about more than preventing an injury. It’s about ensuring we feel capable, stay engaged, and continue making choices about how we want to live.
As our community’s needs grow, so does our commitment to being there with the right support at the right time. And that’s something we can only do together. Your gift helps make that possible.
This September, please consider making a gift to help ensure more people in our community have the support and opportunities they need to keep moving forward with confidence.
