You’re never too late, or old, to begin working on your body, and the best way to begin is with yoga training. Yoga is more than just exercise. It's practising mindfulness in your lifestyle, and connecting your mind with your body. It makes you more aware of your body and gives you the tools to help your body function effectively and heal as well.
For senior citizens who're looking for a way to enhance their physical health, yoga is the way to go. Yoga can be a great solution for stretching, breathing, and meditation exercises to calm your mind as well as your body. It gives you health benefits like great flexibility, balances your stress levels, engages your joints, and helps you sleep better as well. The best part about introducing yoga into your life is that it's completely adaptable to suit each person’s needs.
Here are some ways in which senior citizens can begin practising yoga.
Types of yoga for senior citizens
Here's a brief explanation of the different forms of yoga so that you can gauge your movement ability enough to begin your practice. It's advisable to choose a form that is best for your body, and aligns with your goals for your body.
- Hatha: Slow-paced series of sitting and standing poses
- Iyengar: Encourages the use of props as it lays emphasis on form
- Restorative yoga: Slow and meditative form of yoga that aims to release tension in the body without stretching
- Yin: Also focuses on releasing tension, but encourages active stretching and holding poses for a long time
- Vinyasa: Focuses on the flow of movements and demands quite a bit of vigorous activity
- Ashtanga: A fast-paced and physically challenging form of yoga that's repetitive. The acrobatic activity aims to boost heart rate and blood circulation
- Bikram: This is a type of yoga where rooms are heated to more than 40ºC and have 40% humidity. The idea is to strengthen the muscles so that body toxins are flushed out
- Kundalini: A combination of physical postures, chanting, and meditative breathing
Simple yoga poses for senior citizens
If you’re looking to begin easy, here are some simple yoga poses for senior citizens that you can turn into a routine.
- Tree pose or Vrikshasan
- Begin by standing with your legs together
- Keep your arms straight over your head while your palms are touching
- Raise your right leg off the ground and make sure that your heel is touching the inside part of your ankle and your toes are still on the ground
- Try to balance your body in this position for 20 to 30 seconds
- Repeat with the left leg
You can eventually work towards raising your leg further up so that your foot rests on the inside of the opposite leg, above the knee. This pose is one that helps you improve your balance, and your bone density.
- Legs Up The Wall Pose or Viparita Karani
- Begin by sitting with one side of your body against a wall and slowly lower your back to the floor
- Shift your legs up the wall such that the backs of your legs are flat against the wall
- If you find it difficult to get your legs flat against the wall, move your body back slightly from the wall and bend the knees slightly
- Make sure your arms remain flat at your side
- Breathe deeply throughout and stretch for 30 to 60 seconds
- Slowly bring your legs down from the wall
- Warrior II Pose or Virabhadrasana II
Another pose that helps your balance and improves bone density. The warrior II pose also engages your hips and legs. Make sure you concentrate on your breath when you practice this pose.
- Start with your feet apart at hip-distance, while your arms are straight at your side
- Turn to the right. Step your right foot out such that your feet are three to four feet away, while your heels are in line
- Turn your right foot out to a 90-degree angle
- Raise your arms straight such that they are aligning with your shoulder height. Inhale while doing this step
- Exhale as you bend the right leg
- Make sure your thigh is parallel to the floor
- Make sure that your left leg is straight
- Low Lunge or Anjaneyasana
This pose is basically a lunge with better stability and, hence, is quite a beneficial pose for senior citizens.
- Begin by standing with your legs at hip-distance from each other
- Keep your arms at your side
- Put one foot forward and bend the knee such that your knee is directly over the ankle
- Your other leg should be straight behind you
- Your knee or shin should be resting on the ground
- Press your fingers into the floor on the side of your right heel
- Make sure your upper body is lifted
- Return to standing pose after holding this position for 20 seconds
You can keep a towel under your back leg if necessary. While this pose may be difficult for senior citizens who find movement to be a challenge at the beginning, it's a pose that eventually helps your joints and leg muscles build up strength over time.
- Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana
This yoga pose engages your hips and lower back, and is great if you have spent years sitting down, or have a stiff back.
- Begin by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor
- Make sure your feet are hip-distance apart and directly under your knees. Keep your arms straight
- Inhale while you press your hands into the floor
- Exhale as your tighten your stomach muscles
- Tilt your pelvis and your spine, and slowly lift your body off the ground until you are in a bridge position
- Lower your spine, starting from the shoulders until your back is flat on the floor
If you're not comfortable with the movements of traditional yoga, you can always opt for chair yoga. Chair yoga is for senior citizens who find it challenging to be mobile, or to find balance. They can enjoy the benefits of yoga by practising several poses such as chest openers, spinal twists, hip stretches, and more, which can be modified and practised from a chair.
Breathing exercises for senior citizens
Another alternative to this is Pranayama, breathing exercises, that lead you into meditative yoga. Here are some breathing exercises you can practise:
- Three-Part Breath or Dirga Pranayama
- Lie down on your back with your eyes closed
- Relax your face and your body
- Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to your mat
- Observe your breathing patterns, and try not to engage with your thoughts
- Let every inhale fill up your belly and expand it
- With every outward breath, expel the air through your nose
- Pull your navel to your spine to ensure that all air has been expelled from the belly
- Equal Breathing or Sama Vritti Pranayama
- Sit comfortably and cross your legs
- Place padding under your seat, if necessary
- Inhale slowly for four counts
- Let your lungs be filled with air
- Now exhale slowly, again for four counts
- Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Sodhana
- Make yourself comfortable in a half lotus, virasana, vajrasana, or by sitting on a chair
- Fold your middle and pointer finger into your palm
- Place your thumb on one side of your nose and your ring finger on the other
- Close off your right nostril with your thumb
- Inhale through your left nostril
- Repeat alternatively with each nostril
These are just a few breathing exercises, or Pranayama, that can be good yoga for senior citizens. There's a whole range of breathing exercises that you can explore, if this is the type of yoga you think is ideal for you.
Finally, whether your aim is to get more flexible, or stronger, or you want to still your mind, and are looking to yoga for a solution, remember that the key is to figure out which is the most appropriate yoga for you. Having said that, it's also important to take into consideration your physical condition and fitness level. Before you begin practising, always consult your healthcare provider so that you're aware of your body’s bandwidth.
If you’re looking to advance your knowledge of yoga for senior citizens, or want to consult an expert on behalf of a loved one, contact us today. We're a registered online yoga academy and our aim is to educate and relay valuable information on yoga and wellness through our certified gurus from Rishikesh. At Ohmayoga, we also offer online yoga teacher training courses, yoga certifications, and personalised sessions tailored to your needs.
