Yoga for seniors is a great form of exercise. Many yoga postures can increase flexibility, mobility, strength, and balance through low-impact movement. Psychologically, it can help keep your mind sharp and increase positive emotions, mindfulness, and self-awareness.
Source: Chopra
The Benefits of Yoga for Seniors
Yoga works on a healing premise that helps the mind, body, and breath together to perform various poses. For example, poses that open the chest and pull shoulders back, such as the Bridge or Modified Bridge poses, counteract our body language when stressed or anxious. As it is tempting to look at some of the extreme yoga poses depicted in movies and think that it is not an activity for older adults, you might want to think again. With the help of a good yoga instructor who will find poses that will work for any of their students, you’ll be able to enjoy doing yoga poses and reaping its benefits while being safe. A yoga class taught by an instructor who is aware of the challenges and limitations of an older student can yield many benefits:
Balance
Falls are one of the most common causes of injury in older adults. Balance poses can give their bodies more “tools” to stay steady.
Stress Relief
The calm mindfulness of yoga can center your loved one’s thoughts and even provide moments of clarity.
Mobility
Working slowly through ranges of motion can increase overall mobility.
Strength
Slow and controlled movement forces the muscles to work harder. Building strength as they work through the postures.
Flexibility
Many of the poses focus on working through a range of motion. Increased flexibility and muscle tone can help protect your loved one from accidents.
Bone Density
A recent study showed a connection between yoga and increased bone density in seniors who have osteoporosis or osteopenia. Increased bone density leads to fewer fractures than seniors who don’t practice any muscle-improving exercises
Source: Yoga International and Philips Lifeline
When is yoga not recommended?
While yoga for seniors is a highly adaptable practice, some conditions can make it riskier like unregulated blood pressure, advanced Parkinson’s Disease, advanced Alzheimer’s Disease, spinal degeneration, and for those who might be taking some, medications that cause dizziness.
Without any hesitations, consult with your senior’s physician to determine if yoga is an appropriate activity for you. If it is something you’ve set your heart on, it’s definitely worth asking your doctor about.
Source: Philips Lifeline
Yoga is Adaptable
About half of Americans over the age of 65 have a disability related to hearing, vision, or walking. All of these can affect balance and the ability to understand or work through complex steps. It is important to find a yoga instructor familiar with some of the challenges of older adults. A certified yoga instructor should be familiar with adaptations to traditional poses and attentive enough to step in to guide your loved one through these adaptations. Classes with a competitive feel may not be appropriate for someone who needs extra attention. It can be for those who are chair-bound with a variety of spine and hip strengthening exercises taking place in a seated position. As your loved one gains strength, the chair can become a stabilizing prop for leg and ankle poses as well.
Source: Duke Integrative Medicine
Types of Yoga
When looking for a class or instructor, there are many types of yoga to be aware of:
Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Power Yoga – fast-paced and requires a lot of poses where the hands bear weight.
Kundalini – often primarily done in a seated position and work with breath and chanting.
Hatha, Lyengar, or alignment-focused classes – great for the allowed number of adaptations.
Yin, Restorative, and Chair yoga tend to be floor- or chair-based to help with adaptations.
Find an instructor who can meet with you and your loved one ahead of time to take note of physical challenges, including past injuries.
Avoid instructors who believe that every pose is accessible to every person. The ultimate achievement of a particular pose should not be the goal of a yoga practice.
