Inside an aerobics room, Susan Barnett holds a flamingo pose for two minutes.

She lifts dumbbells and raises her legs, but she's not working out in the conventional sense.

Hyosub Shin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Master balance walking instructor Millie Daniels (left) talks with Sonia Favors (third from left) in Marietta.

Renee' Hannans Henry / AJC (ENLARGE)

With a hand weight and simple equipment at DeKalb Medical, Polly Hinde, 89, works on improving her balance and strength.

RELATED STORIES: • Exercises to improve your balance • More Health stories

She gets out of an office chair, practicing something many people take for granted — balance.

Participants in this new exercise class at DeKalb Medical flex for something far more critical than a swimsuit-ready physique.

Barnett, 63, recently retired and lives alone. She hopes the class protects her from one of her biggest fears — falling.

"I have fallen before at home. And I am afraid of falling again and breaking bones," said Barnett, who added that she has lower than normal bone density and is at risk for osteoporosis.

These balance-focused exercises aren't just good for you. They may be the key to independence.

Some turn to balance yoga, others do water aerobics or tai chi.

And some 3,000 people across the country are testing out balance walking, which involves ski-like poles and angled shoes. Balance walking — which is like cross- country skiing without the snow — didn't even exist a few years ago. But today, the exercise routine is turning some parks and church parking lots across metro Atlanta into grassy slopes.

For people 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death, and close to 2 million people are treated in the emergency room every year for fall-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Each year, nearly one-third of older adults fall.

And those adults who fall are two to three times more likely to fall again within the next year.

With aging, balance is thrown off-kilter

Everything from blood pressure to bone density to vision, mental clarity and general health can impact balance. As people get older, they lose muscle and become more sedentary.

But getting wobbly doesn't have to be a given, according to doctors who say simply taking a 20-minute daily walk can build stability.

And patients who do fall can benefit from regular exercise and can more quickly bounce back after an accident, according to Dr. David Olson, a neurologist at DeKalb Medical.

Olson said he recently saw an 80-year-old patient who suffered a stroke and expected the patient to be laid up for several weeks, even months.

But the patient, who was an avid jogger, was up and walking in the hospital halls within a couple of days. At the two-week checkup, he was walking two miles.

Outside a Foot Solutions store in Marietta, more than a dozen men and women grab their poles and stroll through a parking lot.

Dr. Arthur Lee, a heart surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital and regular balance walker, believes this walking technique, also known as nordic pole walking, can help people wobbly on their feet.

"It's like using a cane but doesn't have the stigma. You look like an athlete, not a cripple," said Lee, 71.

Like hiking sticks, balance walking poles feature rubber pads designed for paved surfaces.

Lee, who often walks at Chattahoochee River Park near his home, believes pole walking is good for any kind of patient — the ones looking to give themselves more of a cardio, upper body workout and for those recovering from an injury or those simply looking to ease pressure on the knees.

Sue Bozgog, a 43-year-old former marathon runner, turned to balance walking after a car accident two years ago injured her spine.

Running, she said, "just hurts." But she found that the balance walking was gentler on her body.

And now she's hooked.

She walks six days a week, from 30 minutes to an hour, and walks four to five miles. She believes the poles help her stand upright and give her a boost with balance.

And she manages to walk a 12-minute pace.

"Not everyone can run, but everyone can walk," said Bozgog, who teaches classes across metro Atlanta.

Back at DeKalb Medical, a woman using a cane and another one with a walker enter the aerobics class.

Barnett started taking the balance exercise class about six months ago after she noticed she was dropping things around the house. She also struggled a bit to get in and out of her comfy sofa.

But the class, she said, is helping her build muscle and confidence. She remembers the first day of class, she couldn't hold the flamingo pose for more than a couple of seconds, without her foot falling to the ground. Now, she goes the two minutes with just a couple of pats.

Ann Downs, 74, said she likes the way she feels after class.

"It brings me energy and makes me feel good," said Downs of Chamblee.

And with that, she strolled out of class, one steady step at a time.

STATISTICS

In 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, more than 15,800 people 65 and older died of fall-related injuries. Another 1.8 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to a fall. The total direct cost for falls among older adults in 2000 was about $19 billion. This cost is expected to reach $43.8 billion by 2020 because of the number of aging baby boomers.

Source: CDC

CLASS INFORMATION

• Strength and balance classes at DeKalb Medical: For information, call 404-501-9355 or go to www.dekalbmedical.com.

• Balance walking: For information and classes, go to www.balancewalking.com.

• Tai chi is taught at several locations and gyms, including many YMCA branches. For more information at the Y, go to www.ymcaatlanta.org and select the branch closest to you. Decatur Healing Arts at 109A New St. also teaches several tai chi classes for various levels. For information, call 404-378-6288.

TIPS FOR REDUCING FALLS

• Exercise regularly. Exercise programs such as tai chi that increase strength and improve balance are especially good.

• Review medications with doctor to reduce side effects and interactions.

• Have eyes checked at least once a year.

• At home, improve lighting and reduce hazards such as rugs and runners that tend to slide.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention