Benefits of Yoga For Seniors
For most people the thought of yoga brings headstands and backbends, but yoga comes in many different positions and levels. Yoga is much more than intricate postures and can be a great addition to a daily or even weekly routine. It can benefit flexibility and incorporate some low impact exercise into your life. There are many benefits of yoga for seniors, we hope you won’t just take our word for it though.
What is Yoga?
Yoga utilizes meditation, postures, exercise, and breathing techniques to improve functional mobility and self awareness. Whether you want to incorporate some new ideas to reduce back pain or gain general flexibility, yoga can be a great addition.
Why Try Yoga?
You have probably heard of some of the many benefits of yoga. Increased strength and flexibility are theones most commonly assosciated with yoga. But what about yoga’s relation to overall health? More than just flexibility yoga has been linked to reduced risk for strokes, reduced pain and inflammation, and reduced risk for anxiety and depression.
Yoga as a Treatment
Yoga has been used as a treatment to manage arthritis, pain, and even MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Talk to your doctor before incorporating yoga into your life. Especially if you have been sedentary or suffer from any chronic conditions. Although yoga can be completed on your own, consider seeking a professiona. A yoga professinoal will be able to help you with correct posture and breathing.
Many individuals enjoy yoga as it is a low impact activity with room for modifications. There are many types of yoga. However we recommend beginning with chair yoga or adaptive yoga as they offer the simplest starting point.
Benefits of Yoga for Seniors
Although yoga has benefits for all ages, seniors can benefit even more due to the low impact and ability to modify. When considering yoga’s many variations and ability to modifiy it becomes a simple choice for daily exercise.
Reduced Blood Pressure
Yoga assists us in consciously focusing on our breath which has been linked to lower blood pressure. This in turn helps to reduce our risk for heart problems, stroke, and many other diseases caused by chronically high blood pressure.
Balanced Nervous System
We often spend more time stuck in a “fight or flight” state than our bodies can handle. Yoga helps to calm the nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS is responsible for regulating heart rate, breathing rate, and rest and restoration functions.
Improves Flexibility
Yoga increases time spent in postures and positions not normally achieved by everyday movements. With these new postures increased flexibility can occur which can reduce risk for falls and injuries.
Increases Strength
Holding balance postures can build strength in the body. Especially postures in various positions as this can increase strength in many muscles. Increasing strength in various muscles reduces your risk for falls and injuries significantly.
Can Reduce Arthritis Pain
With increased flexibility and strength arthritis pain. This occurs because of the bodies ability to support the joints more easily. Yoga can even increase mobility in those with arthritis.
Better Sleep
Yoga is a relaxing activity with ability to calm the entire nervous system. With increased relaxation seniors often report improved sleep when beginning a yoga practice.
Getting Started With Yoga
If you’re interested in learning more about yoga we can start with some basics.
Yoga focuses a lot on your breath. So if you find yourself unable to do certain poses during a class or guided video. Be sure to simply focus on your breathing. Whether or not the posture can be achieved is not the goal of yoga. The main goal is to connect with your breath.
In addition to focused breathing, yoga also incorporates many alternating postures. These postures can be held for various amounts of time. You can even begin seated in a chair. Noting that to achieve the maximum benefits you will want to attempt as much as tolerated out of a chair.
There are also many devices made specifically for modifications and comfort in yoga.
Knee pad
This foam pad is perfect for not only yoga but gardening or any other floor activity that may have been too painful on the knees prior.
Bolster
A bolster can help you comfortably get into a position or hold a position. It can also support your posture as well as reduce aches and pains if a posture feels abnormal or difficult.
Yoga Block & Strap
This is our favorite yoga recommendation! A classic block and a strap. Blocks can be placed in any height/side to assist if you can’t reach the floor or need a support under a knee or hip. Straps can assist with a floor pose that extends your reach far beyond your hands. This can reduce straining other parts of your body while achieving a deeper stretch in the posture.
Yoga can be a great addition for any age, but we particularly like it for those 55+ due to it’s many health benefits and reduced risk for falls. We hope you give it a chance, with anything you become better at anything you focus your energy and time on. The benefits of yoga for seniors can go well beyond your typical exercise routine. Get started today!
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