A wonderful thing about aging is you develop the wisdom to help the young ones live life by taking good decisions. However, the sad part about this phase of your life is your body weakens thereby making it hard for you to indulge in activities you enjoyed during the younger years. Fortunately, you can take a sigh of relief as studies have shown how yoga for elderly beginners is a good choice.
Becoming a senior comes with its set of health problems. You have problems with recalling information, issues in physical movement, and at times severe cardiovascular problems. Thankfully, yoga is here to help you enjoy the later years with happiness and good health. Although you might think that it is too late for yoga, the reasons below state the opposite.
7 Reasons To Indulge In Senior Yoga
Old age does come with a couple of health issues. However, that should not stop you from remaining fit and fine.
With that said, given below are seven reasons for you to practice yoga during the later years.
1. Improves Flexibility
With age, your activity level decreases which causes tightening of your muscles. The muscles lose their elasticity and that makes it difficult for you to carry out even day-to-day tasks. There are yoga asanas like Seated Forward Bend which you can do using a yoga strap to give your shoulders a good stretch. In short, book yourself a beginners yoga retreat and stay fit in old age.
2. Builds Stronger Bones
With age, your bone density decreases and that only increases the risk of a serious injury which occurs due to accidental fall. Numerous medical and scientific studies have shown how yoga improves bone density especially if you suffer from osteoporosis or osteopenia.
What yoga does is use the opposite muscles and gravity to put pressure on the bones. In the long run, this increases the production of bone-growing cells.
3. Improves Muscle Tone
In old age, your muscle mass starts deteriorating. You should do Hatha Yoga poses as this strengthens and tones your muscles. For example, do the Plank or Warrior Pose to develop muscles and strength. Enroll in a registered yoga school and learn the best yoga poses to stay healthy during the later years.
4. Helps With Balance
One of the reasons why you suffer from a serious fall injury during old age is improper body balance. You should include Balancing yoga poses like Half Moon or Tree Pose to improve overall balance. For support, you can do these yoga poses near a wall.
5. Improves Concentration
A major reason why yoga for elderly beginners is a good choice is it improves your concentration levels. Numerous yogic techniques like the Pranayama stimulate the brain and improve your memory power and concentration. You should try meditation which keeps negative self-talk under control and boost positive emotions.
6. Treats Body Ache & Pain
Yoga is quite effective in helping you deal with chronic pain conditions like arthritis, and stress syndrome. In comparison to other weight-bearing exercises, yoga is gentle and does not puts additional stress on your joints.
Moreover, yoga asanas like Cobra and Child’s Pose give you relief from back pain. In short, yoga is the solution to the problem of regular ache and pain during old age.
7. Boosts Mood
The worst things you face during old age are feelings of loneliness and isolation from social life. However, attending weekly yoga sessions gives you a chance to connect with like-minded individuals. It makes you a part of an ever-growing worldwide community and that keeps you away from mental health issues like depression.
However, for you to reap the benefits of yoga in old age you need to do the right yoga asanas.
Yoga Asanas For Seniors
Given below are yoga poses you can do to stay fit in the later years.
1. Mountain Pose
This yoga asana lays a solid foundation for all other yoga asanas. Although you just stand straight in this yoga pose it does works to improve your torso and legs.
Steps To Practice Mountain Pose
- Stand on the yoga mat with your feet apart. Keep the big toes away from each other and heels slightly apart.
- Press into all four corners of your feet including the right side heel, left side heel, big, and little toe. Feel how it engages your entire leg and activates these muscles.
- Inhale deeply and roll your shoulders up and back. Release them so your shoulder blades are facing each other.
- Take some deep breaths. Close your eyes.
2. Downward Facing Dog
The best yoga pose for lengthening your spine, improving digestion, and stretching your back muscles is the Downward Facing Dog. It is a mild yoga inversion that calms down your nervous system.
Steps To Practice Downward Facing Dog
- Push your hands into the yoga mat and lift your hips and back with a deep inhale.
- Keep your shoulders engaged and the spine completely neutral.
- Your legs have to be straight with heels on the mat. Keep your legs active and heels towards the mat.
- Pedal out your feet to warm up the leg muscles.
There you have it! The seven reasons why you should practice a little yoga during the later years.
Conclusion
Old age comes with its set of health problems. However, inculcating yoga for elderly beginners poses can help you stay fit and fine during the later years.
