Does Ballet Help Older Adults Reduce Fall Risk?

ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. December 7, 2025August 21, 2026

BALLET SCIENCE PODCAST: EPISODE 28

Falls are the #1 cause of injury in older adults worldwide, but can ballet help?

In this episode, Caroline Simpkins, PhD, breaks down her published research in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, examining whether recreational ballet dancers aged 55+ show advantages in key fall-risk factors compared to non-dancers.

Using functional mobility tests, leg strength assessments, cognitive screening, and physical activity measures, this study explored how ballet may support strength, balance, power, coordination, and healthy aging.

Research citation: Simpkins C, Ahn J, Yang F. Recreational Ballet Practice Is Associated with Improved Fall Risk Factors in Older Adults. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/1089313X251380085

Injury Prevention

Hypermobility in Ballet | Gift or Dangerous Injury Risk?
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. June 16, 2026August 20, 2026
BALLET SCIENCE PODCAST: EPISODE 55 Can hypermobility help ballet dancers… or increase injury risk? In this episode, we explore the science of hypermobility and its role in ballet training. Learn the difference between flexibility and hypermobility, why hypermobile dancers are often drawn to ballet, how conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) fit into the conversation,…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More Hypermobility in Ballet | Gift or Dangerous Injury Risk?
Adult Dancers | Dance Research | Injury Prevention

Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Dancers Recover from Unexpected Slips
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. June 15, 2025August 22, 2026
BALLET SCIENCE PODCAST: EPISODE 2 In this episode (Part 2 of 3), we dive into the pilot study I conducted on fall prevention in professional ballet dancers. We explore: how ballet dancers respond to unexpected standing slips, differences between dancers and non-dancers in balance, trunk control, and recovery steps, what a pilot study is and…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Dancers Recover from Unexpected Slips
Dance Research | Mental Health | Nutrition

Professional Ballet & Mental Health: Science-Based Insights
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. October 28, 2025August 14, 2026
Ballet is known for beauty, discipline, and control… but what’s happening behind the scenes? Today, we break down scientific research on mental health in professional ballet dancers. Discover the prevalence of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and sleep disturbances, and what these findings reveal about the pressures of elite performance environments. Learn why sleep is critical…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More Professional Ballet & Mental Health: Science-Based Insights
Anatomy | Biomechanics | Injury Prevention

Foot & Ankle Anatomy for Dancers: Bones Explained
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. October 28, 2025August 14, 2026
Explore the incredible structure of the human foot with Ballet Science! In this episode, Caroline Simpkins, former ballerina turned researcher, breaks down the 26 bones of the foot, including the hindfoot (talus and calcaneus), midfoot (navicular, cuboid, and cuneiforms), and forefoot (metatarsals and phalanges). Learn about the medial, lateral, and transverse arches, the sesamoid bones,…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More Foot & Ankle Anatomy for Dancers: Bones Explained
Adult Dancers | Biomechanics | Dance Research

How Ballet Changes the Way You Walk | New Biomechanics Research
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. February 19, 2026August 21, 2026
BALLET SCIENCE PODCAST: EPISODE 38 What if the way you walk down the street could reveal whether you trained in ballet? Learn how ballet training influences walking biomechanics across the lifespan. In this research study, I compared the overground walking biomechanics of four groups: young professional ballet dancers, young non-dancers, older recreational ballet dancers, and…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More How Ballet Changes the Way You Walk | New Biomechanics Research
Adult Dancers | Dance Research | Injury Prevention

Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Ballet Training Improves Balance
ByCaroline Simpkins, Ph.D. June 8, 2025August 22, 2026
BALLET SCIENCE PODCAST: EPISODE 1 Welcome to the Ballet Science Podcast! I’m Caroline Simpkins, a former ballerina turned researcher. In this first episode of our three-part series on ballet and fall prevention, we explore how ballet training can enhance balance, stability, and overall fall risk reduction for dancers and movers of all ages. We’ll cover:…
Share this:
X
Facebook
Like this:
Like Loading…
Read More Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Ballet Training Improves Balance

Does Ballet Help Older Adults Reduce Fall Risk?

Like this:

Related

Hypermobility in Ballet | Gift or Dangerous Injury Risk?

Like this:

Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Dancers Recover from Unexpected Slips

Like this:

Professional Ballet & Mental Health: Science-Based Insights

Like this:

Foot & Ankle Anatomy for Dancers: Bones Explained

Like this:

How Ballet Changes the Way You Walk | New Biomechanics Research

Like this:

Ballet & Fall Prevention: How Ballet Training Improves Balance

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Share this:

Like this:

Related

Similar Posts

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Discover more from Ballet Science Blog