Yoga refreshes your mind and spirit. One of the most incredible benefits of yoga is its low-impact, lifelong practice qualities. Yoga can be done from age three to ninety-three! Yoga recently has really caught on with the baby boomer generation and those now entering their golden years.
The Benefits of Yoga for Senior Citizens
As a form of exercise, Yoga is incredible for an older population to help them maintain their balance, keep their joints flexible, maintain bone health and muscle mass, as well as learn how to cope with their mental state as they witness their bodies aging.
If you work with an older population or are a senior yourself, use these poses three to four times a week to keep the body strong and youthful.
1.Mountain Pose
Helps with balance and grounding through the feet.
Stand tall with big toes touching and heels together. Draw your abdominals in and up and relax your shoulders down and back. Breathe five to eight breaths while actively engaging your leg muscles.
It’s a great pose for seniors as their postures start to slouch, and also good for keeping the feet healthy and strong.
2. Tree Pose
Excellent for leg and abdominal strength. Good for seniors to do for balance and concentration. It’s ok for the leg to be lower on the inner standing leg. I tell my seniors to start with Baby Tree or use a chair for support.
I like for my older generation to work on their hip mobility since hip problems are so common later in life.
Stand tall, and place one foot on the opposite inner thigh, either above or below the knee. Open the leg to the side, bring your hands to prayer, and stay for five to eight breaths.
3. Bird Dog
Good for abdominals and back support. The health of the spine is extremely important as we age. Bird Dog is great for strengthening the transverse abdominals and the back body.
Start kneeling, and stretch one arm forward and the opposite leg back. Imagine you have a tea cup on your back and draw your belly button towards your spine. Stay for a breath, and then switch sides.
4. Cobra Pose
The Cobra Pose is an energizing backbend that looks like the raised head of a cobra. This is one of the best yoga poses for seniors. This pose will make weak older people sharp and swift. Practice it every day in the mornings on an empty stomach and clean bowels or in the evenings, giving a gap of four to six hours between your last meal and the practice.
5. Downward Facing Dog
The best pose for all of us to do! A Down Dog a day keeps the doctor away. Great for joint health, flexibility, and all-over body strength. For seniors with wrist issues, I have them do Forearm Downward Dog instead.
Start on hands and knees, tuck your toes under, and lift your hips up and back until your body forms a triangle. Use your core strength and legs to bring the weight back as much as possible.
6. Sphinx
Excellent for upper back strength and preventing forward head syndrome. I love to have my seniors do an extension to keep their hearts open and their upper backs strong.
Sphinx is gentle enough and really does a great job of opening up the chest and working the rear deltoids.
Lie down on your stomach and place your forearms on the mat, elbows under your shoulders. Press firmly into the arms and draw your shoulder blades together and down your back. Lift your abdominals in and up and stay for five to eight breaths.
7. Cobbler’s Pose
This is a great way for seniors to keep their hips open and massage their feet. Sit tall and bring the soles of the feet together as you open your knees out to the sides.
Fold forward for a deeper stretch but try to prevent rounding too much in the lower back. Hold for five to eight breaths.
8. Savasana
Finish by lying on your back in final relaxation. Seniors need their rest as much as anyone else and it’s good for them to get comfortable with letting go more often throughout the day.
Savasana resets the nervous system and helps with restoring peace to the body and mind. Lie down and let the floor support you. Completely relax the muscles and breathe as you lie there and take a deep, restorative break.
Read this Blog, Exercise is very important for everybody. More so, in the older years, as it keeps the body healthy and away from weakness. Care 4 Hygiene shared the Yoga postures that they are beneficial for the senior citizen and let them use for better body awareness, strength, and longevity in the bones, muscles, joints, and organs.