AAIMS research initiative
AAIMS is a CIHR-funded national research initiative focused on improving access to evidence-based exercise programs that help older adults improve their balance and reduce risk of falls.
AAIMS consists of four domains:
- Attract
- Adapt
- Implement
- Sustain
All four domains play critical roles in the effort to increase access to evidence-based fall prevention exercise programming, and are led by a collaborative team of researchers located at institutions across Canada.
Why this work matters?
- Falls are a leading cause of injury and loss of independence among older adults.
- Exercise is the single most effective strategy to improve balance and reduce fall risk, especially if the exercise challenges balance directly, and is performed 3 hours per week, year-round.
- Many communities face barriers to recruiting participants of diverse backgrounds, providing fall prevention exercise programs that meet evidence-based guidelines, and implementing and sustaining evidence-based programs.
AAIMS addresses these challenges by working with community partners to support the access, adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based fall prevention exercise programs.
What is evidence-based fall prevention exercise programming?
Evidence-based fall prevention exercise programming refers to exercise programs that aim to improve balance and reduce fall risk, and have met specific criteria that have been shown to maximize their fall-prevention benefits.
These criteria include:
- Exercise challenges balance directly
- Occurs 3 hours per week
- Is available year-round
Here in New Brunswick, the Implement domain of AAIMS operated an evidence-based fall prevention exercise program called Zoomers in Balance under the supervision of Dr. Danielle Bouchard.
Designed for adults aged 50+, Zoomers is a free program offered year-round, providing a safe and effective strategy for aging adults to improve their balance and reduce their risk of falling.
Zoomers has since been funded by the Government of New Brunswick to operate as a community program outside of research for 5 years (until 2031).
If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Zoomers, please email contact@zoomersinfo.ca or call 506-458-7034 to speak with the Zoomers in Balance Provincial Coordinator.
The AAIMS domains
Attract: Dr. Shilpa Dogra, Ontario Tech University
Improving accessibility to fall prevention exercise programs by working on attracting equity-deserving and underrepresented groups in community fall prevention exercise programs.
Adapt: Dr. Kathryn Sibley, University of Manitoba
Evaluating currently available fall prevention exercise programs to assess whether they are evidence-based, and if not, providing guidance and support to become evidence-based.
Implement: Dr. Danielle Bouchard, University of New Brunswick Working with community partners to implement Zoomers in Balance, a free peer-led evidence-based fall prevention exercise program, in communities where none currently exist.
Sustain: Dr. Scott Kehler, Dalhousie University Evaluating the sustainability of currently available fall prevention exercise programs and subsequently provide guidance and support on how to improve the longevity and sustainability of these programs.
Resources
Selected publications
Klicnik, Irmina, Bouchard, Danielle R., & Dogra. Shilpa. (2026). Recruitment of Underrepresented Older Adults During the Exploration Stages of Implementation Science Research: Minimizing Selection Bias. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Advance online publication.
Farlie, M., Sibley, K., Brusola, G., Espy, D., Jolliffe, L., Lyon, M., McArthur, C., Okubo, Y., Bouchard, D., & Haines, T. (2026). Towards improved balance exercise recommendations for older adults: Integrating balance intensity into training dosage. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 23(1).
Lochan-Aristide, M., Bouchard, D. R., & Dogra, S. (2026). The lived-experiences and recommendations of older Black Canadians regarding community-based fall prevention exercise programs: a qualitative study. The Gerontologist, 66(6).
Sibley, K. M., Zacharias, E., Bouchard, D. R., & Farlie, M. K. (2026a). Peer exercise leaders can accurately and reliably rate intensity of older adult exercisers with the balance intensity scale: A prospective cohort study. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 8(2), 100588.
Abel-Adegbite, I., Sibley, K., Bouchard, D., & Kehler, D. S. (2025). Sustainability of fall prevention exercise programmes for community-dwelling older adults: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 15(4).
Fuentes Diaz, M. F., Sibley, K. M., Giberson, K., Sénéchal, M., & Bouchard, D. R. (2025). Proportion of participants meeting falls prevention guidelines in an evidence-based community-based exercise program. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 37(1).
Pitre, V., Sénéchal, M., & Bouchard, D. R. (2024). Comparing online and in-person delivery of a fall prevention exercise program for older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 32(1), 55–61.
Fuentes Diaz, M. F., Leadbetter, B., Pitre, V., Nowell, S., Sénéchal, M., & Bouchard, D. R. (2024). Synchronous group-based online exercise programs for older adults living in the community: A scoping review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 32(6), 703–717.
Sibley, K. M., Tittlemier, B., Olarinde, F., Leadbetter, B. K., & Bouchard, D. R. (2024). Factors influencing older Adult Community Fall Prevention Exercise Implementation: A scoping review. Age and Ageing, 53(8).
MacDonald, M., Sénéchal, M., Leadbetter, B., & Bouchard, D. R. (2023). Fear of falls following an online exercise program for aging adults. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 9.
Bouchard, D. R., Olthuis, J. V., Bouffard-Levasseur, V., Shannon, C., McDonald, T., & Sénéchal, M. (2021). Peer-led exercise program for ageing adults to improve physical functions - a randomized trial. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 18(1).
Tools and programming
Knowledge transfer tools
- Fall prevention exercise inventory | Inventaire d'exercices pour réduire le risque de chutes
- Fall prevention exercise inventory: An evidence-informed list of exercises addressing the five components of an effective fall prevention exercise program, designed for fitness professionals to develop a balance-focused exercise program for older adults.
- Zoomers in balance implementation manual | Manuel de mise en oeuvre du programme Zoomers en mouvemen
- Zoomers implementation manual: A step-by-step guide on how to implement the Zoomers in Balance program, designed to assist organizations interested in offering an evidence-based fall prevention exercise program to reduce the risk of falls among older adults in their community.
- Summary of gaps, findings, and recommendations for community-based fall prevention exercise programs based on underserved communities
- A collection of feedback from individuals from underserved communities on how to more effectively promote community-based fall prevention exercise programs and recruit participants from these communities.
