Older people living in Galway are being invited to take part in a study on the efficacy of Pilates in the prevention of falls.

Some 7,000 people over the age of 65 are admitted to hospital every year in Ireland for the treatment of fall-related injuries. This can lead to major issues with quality of life and costs the health service hundreds of millions of euro annually.

Researchers at NUI Galway are currently recruiting participants for a new study, which will assess the efficacy of Pilate in falls prevention in healthy people over the age of 65.

The study will look at a number of outcomes including balance, mobility, gait and falls.

"Our study is looking at the effect that participating in Pilates has on balance, breathing, stretching and coordination. In particular, we are interested in people over 65 years old who enjoy doing exercises. We want to measure your level of function with questionnaires and tests so that we can compare it with people who are not practising Pilates," explained Larissa Donatoni da Silva, a physiotherapist and Pilates instructor who is conducting the study.

As part of the study, one-hour classes will take place in Áras Moyola, which is located in NUI Galway, twice a week for three months, with three participants in each class. There will be a total of 24 sessions for each group for the main study and participants are advised to wear comfortable clothes for exercises.

There will be a further smaller study of 12 sessions for six weeks with two groups of four participants.

Participants will also get a home Pilates exercise programme and a Pilates DVD.

If you would like to participate or would like more details about the study, call 089 459 2533, or email laridonatoni@gmail.com or l.donatonidasilva1@nuigalway.ie