Yoga for Seniors: Why it’s never too late to start
Securing your old age is not just about setting up the right kind of health insurance policies, like the commercials say. Needless to say, if you are a senior citizen, you’re aware of the challenges that your mobility has been facing. And if you’re somebody in his/her late 40’s or 50’s, you probably know that your body isn’t the same as it used to be till you were 35 or so. Don’t you? Well, if you thought Yoga was all about acrobatics and intertwining your body into unimaginable poses, NO! Yoga is an inclusive art of fitness that has no age restrictions. Based pretty much on the experience of a few elders in my social circle, here’s what prompts me to talk about Yoga for seniors.
As we get older, specially our mid-40’s onwards, our bone density starts to reduce. And so does our flexibility. Stiff shoulders, pronounced Varicose veins and a range of joint issues slowly start to surface. For women, while a faster bone degeneration is quite a big challenge followed by Vit D deficiency, Osteoporosis and Arthritis, strength training since an earlier age can safely be considered as a precautionary exercise routine.
However, it’s NEVER, EVER too late for Yoga.
Toss away all the myths that you can associate with Yoga & remember that Yoga for seniors does not have a prerequisite of a super-flexible body. So, no matter which orthopedic or other physical problems trouble you right now, there’s always something easy, comforting and beneficial for you with Yoga.
Having said that, here are some super-easy and extremely useful Yoga poses for SENIORS.
Easy & Gentle Asanas of Yoga for Seniors
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Akin to a stretching exercise, this pose is helpful in relieving back aches induced by long hours of standing, if at all that’s what your spine is subjected to.
Balasana (Child Pose)
Try holding this pose for anything between 1 to 4 minutes in the mornings.
Balasana helps in relaxing and strengthening the weakening muscles of the chest, back and shoulders. At the same time, it improves blood circulation along the upper half of the body, thereby kicking away any form of lethargy for the rest of the day.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Tadasana aids the improvement of the otherwise deteriorating posture of elderlies.
When practised daily in the mornings before breakfast, it helps strengthen the muscles of your thighs, calves and even ankles.Often underrated, Tadasana improves blood circulation across the body and spearheads the pain relief process of aching joints.
Padmasana (Lotus Pose)
While assisting the stretching of the knee and ankles, this pose helps in correcting the hunching posture of the older people. Meanwhile, Padmasana when done with a meditative spirit, calms the mind and largely helps in relieving anxiety and age-related mental stress, specially those associated with the feeling of loneliness.
Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
A very easy and relaxing pose to do for a food 10 minutes or beyond, after the above poses, Shavasana has a remarkable effect on the mind and spine altogether. It requires the least of efforts, but can produce benefits that are hard to list out.
This pose can help you solve your constipation problems along with a hydrated lifestyle. It also improves alertness, memory and lifts your mood like nothing else can, apart from your favorite music! Many elderly people claim to have reversed their anxiety and insomnia problems too with Shavasana done regularly.
Yoga for Seniors: The holistic effect
Besides the above-mentioned benefits of these specific postues of Yoga for seniors, it is interesting to note that, light and self-paced sessions of Yoga have an impressive effect on the regressing digestive system of older people. It’s common for older men and women to deal with a spectrum of issues related to digestion, such as, flatulence, bloating, constipation and acidity.
Similarly, almost every pose of Yoga aims at making blood circulation better, thus putting hypertension in its limits.
Yoga can improve heart health by increasing oxygen levels in your body. It also reduces the risks of various illnesses like Type-II Diabetes & High Cholesterol. Higher oxygen levels refresh one’s lungs and improve respiratory patterns. Both of these functions are extremely helpful for senior citizens.
NOTE:
It is always advisable for senior citizens to check with their doctors before going ahead with the Yoga exercises in tune with their health conditions and limitations. Also, stretch and relax well after you’re done with the day’s Yoga.
Well, to implement Yoga better into your older life, and understand how Yoga can exactly help you achieve your goals, I’d recommend you to check out cult.fit’s yoga classes. This pack consists of 40 classes that each focus on different yoga practices. Guided by professionals, these help you have expert advice and motivate you further to pursue your health.
Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post. However, all views and recommendations are based across my personal knowledge. I do not endorse anything that I haven’t familiarized with.
What health challenge(s) do you lately deal with? Have you been used to Yoga so far? If not, doesn’t this inspire to take it up from tomorrow? Let me know what you feel in the comments! 🙂
Yoga can be started at any age. Even if you are having problems in your body parts, that can also be cured by yoga under proper guidance. Senior citizens must be more cautious about their health in such pandemic. and this yoga guide is just perfect for them to motivate.