A Good Nights Sleep can prevent a Fall
When a client, patient or student asks "how does Tai Chi prevent falls?", I usually explain how Taiji:
1) Challenges balance in a way that enhances neural function and motor control
2) Strengthens key postural and balance muscles
3) Allows a lower center of gravity to improve stability
4) Teaches mindfulness so that the person can better attend to the critical features of the environment
5) Decrease fear of falling which appears to be an independent risk factor in falling
6) Depending on the audience, I might also mention ideas from Chinese Mind-body energetics like rooting and sinking qi.
Now I have another factor to mention: SLEEP.
This article showing a decreased fall risk with increased sleep length was just published:
Actigraphy-measured sleep characteristics and risk of falls in older women. Stone KL, Ancoli-Israel S, Blackwell T, Ensrud KE, Cauley JA, Redline S, Hillier TA, Schneider J, Claman D, Cummings SR. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Sep 8;168(16):1768-7
Previous research has linked Tai Chi practice to improved sleep including this article:
Tai chi and self-rated quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Li F, Fisher KJ, Harmer P, Irbe D, Tearse RG, Weimer C. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Jun;52(6):892-900
Lots of studies link Tai Chi Chuan practice to decreased anxiety and it certainly makes sense to me that decreased anxiety would be good for sleep....
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