As many people age, they begin to experience issues with balance, compounded with osteoarthritis, which leads to stiffness and decreased range of movement. People with stiffer bodies are more likely to fall, because they are unable to rebalance their bodies when unsteadied. This also makes them more prone to serious hip injuries, which can greatly affect their quality of life and even reduce their life expectancy.

Balance Arts Center
Balance Arts Center Balance Arts Center

According to a 2019 study published in the Acta Orthopaedica journal, the one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture is 21% for those with surgically repaired fractures. If the fracture is not repaired, this rate increases to around 70%.

Ann Rodiger, founder of the Balance Arts Center, says that employing the Alexander Technique can help people avoid falls and achieve better balance. The Technique focuses on mind-body wellness and teaching people to be more mindful of their body movement. The Center works with performing artists and public speakers in refining their craft, and it also helps people dealing with health issues, such as back and joint pain, eye strain, and insomnia, to enhance how they interface with their environment.

The Alexander Technique is an approach developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Australian actor and author Frederick Matthias Alexander. After Alexander lost his voice, he realized that his poor head and neck posture was putting pressure on his larynx and his windpipe. After observing himself in the mirror, he was able to correct his posture, allowing him to speak and project well again. Today, instructors of this Technique provide both verbal and manual guidance to students, teaching them how to move better, placing less strain on their bodies and strengthening their sense of balance.

Rodiger credits the Alexander Technique with helping her recover from two hip replacement surgeries. Further, she authored a book in 2022, titled Mind & Mend Your Hips. The book depicts her experiences and how the Alexander Technique can help maintain hip and joint health. It also contains illustrations, as well as QR codes linking to videos, that depict exercises for improving balance and explain the concepts of the Alexander Technique.

According to Rodiger, the Technique allows people to be more conscious of how their body functions. It involves behavioral change, which can be difficult because people are often resistant to change and bad habits are difficult to unlearn.

While training as a dancer in her youth, Rodiger said she was "flailing around" and encountered issues with balance. She discovered that her body structure was hypermobile and she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic condition affecting connective tissue, resulting in loose joints, joint pain, excessively stretchy skin, and abnormal scar formation.

"I found out about the Alexander Technique when I was in graduate school, and it immediately made a big difference in my ability to dance and to balance by teaching me how to work with my body in a different way. I eventually realized this is what I wanted to do with my life, so I began doing more Alexander Technique-related work, including giving lessons, and I later decided to do it full-time."

This led to her founding of the Balance Arts Center in New York in 1987. The Center is dedicated to teaching mindfulness and awareness in action through the principles and practices of the Alexander Technique. It holds private lessons, group classes, specialized workshops & conferences, and a teacher training course. There are also specific classes on fall prevention, stabilization, balance, ergonomics, breathing, spatial awareness, and proprioception.

Rodiger stresses the importance of proper balancing techniques in preventing falls, especially for older people, who are more prone to fractures to their hips and other areas.

"The reason that people fall easily is that they've lost their ability to balance, and they've lost the flexibility that allows them to dynamically adapt their body to various situations. When losing balance, many people instinctively stiffen their bodies, thinking it will give them more stability. But, if the body is stiff, they can't rebalance or readjust while standing, which leads to falling over. People must learn to ease their joints – including their hips, knees, ankles, head, and back – in order to refine their balance. The Alexander Technique helps people understand how to balance and rebalance their body through behavioral and mechanical methods, and teaches them how to maintain good posture and let go of detrimental habits."