When thinking about exercise, our minds tend to create an age limit in terms of who can exercise and who cannot. But working out and being active has no age limit!
It’s true that as we get older, our bodies change; with that, the type of exercise and the amount of exercise we can do tends to change. When it comes to seniors, we can say that avoiding high-intensity exercises and workouts is best.
One type of exercise program recommended for all seniors and even individuals of other ages is yoga. Yoga is a form of exercise involving different poses and stretches to activate different body areas. It is a low-impact workout, meaning it keeps your body under minimal stress and is much slower – making gentle yoga for seniors the perfect form of exercise for the elderly!
Yoga holds a host of many benefits and can help individuals reach their fitness goals.
The benefits mentioned above should be motivation enough for you to begin yoga practice and incorporating it into your daily life, no matter your age!
Yoga involves many different kinds of poses and stretches; however, not all of them are suitable for older adults. Some poses may be too hard for older individuals to perform, especially if they have issues such as back pain, joint pain, or arthritis.
Here are some good yoga poses for seniors that are easy to perform;
This pose involves standing tall with your heels together; you need to draw your stomach in and keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Hands will be kept broad at your sides, and your chest should remain open.
This pose is great for those struggling with posture and can help highlight shoulder imbalances that can be worked upon.
This pose involves standing on one leg while placing the other foot on the opposite inner thigh or knee. Hands should be brought to a prayer position by the chest or over the head.
This pose helps to stretch the body from the heels to the tips of your fingers. It is good to improve balance and abdominal and leg strength. This pose is also good for improving concentration as you use your energy to focus on balancing throughout the position.
This pose involves standing on your hands and feet and creating a triangle shape with your body. You should use your core to push your hips back and stay standing on your palms and heels.
This pose is great for those looking to improve their overall body strength and improve flexibility. This pose is best for those suffering from joint pain, especially in the knees. This pose decompresses the spine and calms down the nervous system.
This pose involves being on your hands and knees while your back remains straight. You should then extend one leg and the opposite arm. For example, if you extend your left leg, you should extend your right arm. Once extended, you should be balancing on one knee and one palm.
This pose is fantastic for strengthening your abdomen and back as it maintains the health of the spine.
This pose involves lying down on the floor with your back completely relaxed and flat.
This pose lets the nervous system relax and is a great way to let go of stress. This pose is usually performed at the end of the workout to give a final relaxation.
This pose involves bending your knees and lowering your butt into your heels. You should then bring your chest towards the floor, extend your arms, and stretch them as far as possible.
This pose is great for overall relaxation and helps to stretch the spine and back. It helps to calm down all of your muscles and helps you get grounded.
This pose involves sitting cross-legged and placing your palms on your knees. Make sure to keep your back straight and push your body towards the floor.
This pose helps to increase flexibility and relieve stress. This is a beginner pose and is usually performed at the start of the routine.
This pose involves standing on your palms and knees. Then alternate between rounding your back upwards and lowering your back into a scoop position. It is best to inhale as you lift your back up and exhale as you lower it.
This pose is great for awakening and stretching the spine. It also helps to stretch the neck and chest; it is perfect for seniors who have back pain.
This pose involves aligning your butt against a wall and then extending your legs up the wall to create an ‘L’ shape with your body. For extra support, seniors can use pillows to support their necks and head.
This pose is great for stretching out your legs and energizing them. This is a great stretch to do after a long walk or run!
Seniors who have mobility or balance problems can take advantage of yoga without using an upholstered floor mat or yoga mat. Some older adults cannot safely get to the floor to do some of these floor exercises, try modifying the yoga poses by using a chair and doing Chair Yoga for seniors!
Chair Yoga can refer to a practice that changes postures to be used when sitting in a chair. This modification helps people who are unable to get into sitting position. Chair yoga has the great benefits for aging adults and can help them get better at rest. Sitting down you may perform exercise easily.
Beginners can also take an online yoga class to get private instruction from a professional instructor. It should ensure that you the movements and yoga poses properly, in order not to cause harm and get optimum results. Another side benefit of attending a yoga class is the social aspect. Often, elderly people will also enjoy getting together and meeting at a yoga class.
Is there a good yoga center for a senior who wants to get into Yoga? Often yoga teachers contact their community centres for yoga and other fitness classes. Find a beginner yoga course to help seniors.
Yoga can be an extremely beneficial practice for seniors and is a great way for older adults to get some exercise in. For beginners, it is recommended that they join yoga classes so they can achieve the proper form and positioning. Otherwise, yoga is a great at-home workout that can be done with minimal equipment and supervision!
Joining a yoga class or doing yoga with others can be a great way for older adults to socialize and get out of the house! You can head on over to a local yoga studio or your local park and perform your daily yoga routine!
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