Every single day, we lose £6 million to a problem that can be prevented.
We’re talking about falls. Not headline-grabbing events, not dramatic scandals — just ordinary, day-to-day falls experienced by older adults that, collectively, cost the UK health system £2.3 billion a year. It’s not just the financial impact. It’s the loss of confidence, independence, and in some cases — life.
But despite this massive cost, we’re still prescribing low-level, chair-based exercises as the go-to solution in many community settings.
We must do better.
The Reality of Falls in the UK
Let’s get straight to the facts:
- Over 250,000 falls were reported in the NHS in a single year CSP, 2017.
- 1 in 4 people die within 12 months of suffering a hip fracture NICE Guidelines.
- £2,500: The average cost per person who falls.
- £14,412: The cost of a single hip replacement Safety and Quality AU.
If that’s not reason enough to rethink our current approach, here’s the hard truth:
No high-quality study has shown that chair exercises alone significantly reduce falls, improve balance, or lead to real-world improvements in gait or leg strength.
That’s not opinion. That’s evidence.
What the Evidence Says: Chair Exercises Are Not Enough
We’re not here to criticise efforts made in good faith — we’re here to raise standards. Chair exercises have their place for individuals starting from extremely low baselines. But making them the default solution for fall prevention is not only ineffective — it’s dangerous.
Here’s why:
- Chair-Based Exercises for Frail Older People: A Systematic Review concluded that the results were contradictory, inconsistent, and largely methodologically flawed NIH Review.
- Muscle power, not just strength, is more critical for fall prevention. And that means you need weight-bearing and progressive resistance training, not just seated leg extensions PubMed Study.
- Multi-component exercise programs, including strength, balance, and gait training, have proven far more effective in reducing fall rates MDPI Review.
Put simply: if you want to help people stay on their feet — you have to train them on their feet.
What’s Going Wrong in the Community?
A 2023 study revealed that most exercise instructors delivering sessions to older adults in the UK weren’t meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) guidelines on strength training NIH, 2023.
Some didn’t even know about the CMO recommendations.
Others dismissed them as irrelevant.
This isn’t about blaming instructors — it’s about a system that lacks proper education pathways, support, and accountability. We’ve spent years underfunding and under-recognising the vital role community instructors play in national health. It’s time that changed.
What’s the Solution? A Shift in Standards and Mindset
Chair-based programming isn’t the enemy — complacency is.
We need to move beyond “bums on seats” and start aiming for brains, bodies, and belonging.
Here’s what we need to get right:
1. Person-Centred Coaching Over Protocol-Centred Programming
The first rule of inclusive, effective physical activity: train the person, not the condition.
Some older adults may benefit from seated work — but that shouldn’t be the ceiling. Others need intensity, challenge, and progression — all adapted to their current physical status, not just their age or label.
At Move Mojo®, we teach inclusive coaching that’s developmental not defensive. That means layering challenge through smart constraints and personalisation — not limiting someone based on surface assumptions.
2. Shift the Focus from Movement To Movement Skills
Muscle strength alone doesn’t prevent falls. It’s the ability to react, balance, step, reach, and stabilise. Chair-based routines often miss this entirely.
That’s why our approach integrates:
- Task Constraints: Altering the task to build coordination and decision-making.
- Environmental Challenges: Replicating the realities of uneven terrain, turning, reaching.
- Reactive Drills: Building reflexive movement and proprioception.
These skills transfer into real-life — from navigating a curb to stepping back from a fall risk.
3. Educate and Empower the Workforce
We won’t reduce fall-related NHS costs without upskilling the people delivering sessions in community centres, leisure trusts, and gyms.
We’re building a UK-wide solution that integrates:
- Olympic & Paralympic-level principles.
- University-backed curriculum design.
- Evidence-led education.
- Ongoing mentoring, not one-off training days.
We must invest in the people delivering sessions if we want to see change.
But What About Equipment, Risk, and Safety?
We often hear:
“We can’t do that kind of training — it’s too risky for older adults!”
The actual risk is not training them properly. The danger lies in inactivity, underloading, and assuming fragility.
A safe, effective program for older adults includes:
- Progressive resistance using resistance bands, free weights, or bodyweight.
- Standing balance drills that mimic real-life challenges.
- Social support to build confidence and connection.
- Adaptations for disability that don’t mean dilution of intensity, just smarter coaching.
We don’t need fancy tech. In fact, some of our most powerful programs have taken place using donated hotel equipment in Pacific Island container gyms — and the results are often better than the standard community UK delivery.
Why Move Mojo® Was Created
Move Mojo wasn’t built in a lecture theatre. It was forged in real-world settings — from adapted coaching in SEND schools to elite Para sport, from care homes to international workshops in Vanuatu and the Pacific.
Our programs focus on three things:
✅ MOVE – Because movement is a human right.
Every person — regardless of disability, background, or age — deserves the opportunity to move with purpose, joy, and confidence.
✅ PLAY – Because exercise should be fun, not intimidating.
We make exercise feel like a game, not a chore. That’s how we change mindsets and build long-term habits.
✅ BELONG – Because no one should feel left out.
We coach community. We don’t segment, isolate, or over-complicate. We create environments where everyone can join in — just at their own level.
And the result?
A community-first approach that leads to fewer falls, better health outcomes, and more sustainable NHS spending.
The Takeaway
The UK’s approach to fall prevention is failing — not for lack of effort, but for lack of evolution.
We’re using a 1990s prescription for a 2025 problem.
We need to:
- Raise educational standards.
- Rethink what inclusive physical activity actually means.
- Replace low-impact “safety-first” sessions with progressive, evidenced-based, person-first programming.
This is not a criticism — this is a call to action. And it’s one Move Mojo is already delivering across the UK and internationally.
Let’s train people to move better. Let’s train instructors to coach better. Let’s invest in evidence, intensity, and human connection — because that’s how we actually reduce falls.
References and Further Reading:
- Falls in Older People: NICE Guidelines
- CSP – Over 250,000 NHS Falls Annually
- Time to Surgery After Hip Fracture – Safety and Quality AU
- Chair-Based Exercise Systematic Review – NIH
- Muscle Power vs Strength in Preventing Falls – PubMed
- Multi-Component Exercise on Frailty and Outcomes – MDPI
- Exercise Instructors & CMO Guidelines – NIH 2023
Want to Transform Physical Activity in Your Community?
We’re ready to help you level up your sessions — whether you’re a council, care group, NHS Trust, leisure provider or education partner.
📩 Drop us a message at MoveMojo.com
Let’s make exercise effective again. Let’s make movement matter.
