Millions of emergency room visits each year are the result of falls, and a large proportion of patients are senior citizens, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, which states that falls are more common in children under the age of 5 and in adults 65 years of age and older.

Compared to children, however, the elderly are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized because of a fall, and falls can lead to nursing home admissions and even death.

Key reasons for falls in older people include muscle weakness, especially in the legs, and poor balance, says the National Institutes of Health. But a recent Taiwanese study found that Tai Chi, a gentle form of exercise that grew from ancient Chinese martial arts, can strengthen legs to guard against falls.

The new study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, divided a group of 368 people 60 years and older who had received medical attention for falling into two groups.

The first group participated in weekly Tai Chi classes conducted by Tai Chi instructors for 24 weeks. Tai Chi combines gentle movements and specific postures with mental focus, breathing, and relaxation.

The second group received 24 sessions of individual lower extremity training (LET) conducted by physical therapists. Sessions included stretching, muscle strengthening, and balance training.

In addition to sessions, both groups were asked to practice either Tai Chi or LET at home every day, and to keep dairies recording their falls.

At the end of six months, people practicing Tai Chi experienced about 50 percent fewer falls than those in the LET group. Even a year after undergoing training, those in the Tai Chi group were still 50 percent less likely to experience a fall.

"I suggest that older adults learn tai chi exercises in a class, and practice at home at least once a day," said Mau-Roung Lin, PhD, Professor and Director of the Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University in Taipei, Taiwan, and a co-author of the study.

The Taiwanese study wasn't the first to find that practicing Tai Chi provided benefits for seniors. Stanford University researchers discovered that after 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercise, senior citizens saw significant improvements in balance, strength, and flexibility. They called Tai Chi a "potent intervention" that could help reduce disability from chronic health conditions.