Health Benefits of Yoga for Seniors

Yoga is about how you do it and not how much you do it. So, breathe easy and hold on to your pose.

Yoga is a way of living, an ancient practice that helps strike a balance between the mind and the body. Yoga practice varies from person to person, the beauty of yoga is that you don’t have to do so much to reap the benefits. However, it is essential how you practice it. Doing any kind of pose will be beneficial as long as you do it correctly. 

Some studies suggest that yoga can help seniors feel youthful again. Here is why yoga is good for you and why you should make it a part of your daily routine. 

• Keeps you mentally and physically fit – For seniors, yoga is incredible to maintain bone health, muscle mass and keep the mental health in tune. Daily yoga practice helps detoxify the body and improve overall body and mental strength. 
• Helps reduce weight and strengthen core – Mind and body go hand-in-hand. Something as simple as breathing can help shed not only the extra pounds that you must have gained recently but also help strengthen your core using your body weight. One needs to be patient with the practice, it is slow but effective. 
• Lowers stress and anxiety – Practicing few minutes of yoga every day will keep you calm. It helps you to focus on your breathing which results in reduced anxiety and stress. Yoga techniques such as pranayama (breathing exercises), asanas (postures) and meditation are effective ways to rid anxiety and stress.
• Boosts immunity and energy levels – As practicing yoga strikes a balance between body and mind it results in better immunity and good energy levels. With a good energy level, we tend to get done with a lot of work in a short span of it, boosting efficiency. 10 minutes of any yoga technique of your choice will benefit you.
•  Improves flexibility and posture – As we age, posture and flexibility can cause a lot of trouble that was never experience before. A stiff back, or developing a hunchback can make your feel miserable. However, with yoga you will feel like your younger self.

Here are the 5 basic yoga postures you should make part of your daily routine.  

1. Tadasana aka Mountain pose

A great pose for seniors to begin their practice, it is good for balance and posture. Balance and ground yourself by standing tall and taking deep breaths.  Breathe five to eight times while you actively engage your leg muscles.

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2. Vrikshasana aka Tree Pose

Improves balance, memory and concentration and strengthens knee and ankle. Begin this pose by taking support of the wall. This way as your practice progresses soon you will be able to do it without any support. Breathe three to six time while you hold the pose,

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3. Virabhadrasna I aka Warrior I

Improve the flexibility of your hamstrings while you balance yourself. It strengthens your leg as well as opens your chest and hips, improves circulation and energizes. Breathe three to six time while you engage in this pose.

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4. Virabhadrasana II aka Warrior II

This is the advanced version of Virabhadrasana I, once you find easy to hold Virabhadrasana I, you may proceed to this posture. It strengthens your leg as well as opens your chest and hips, as well as hands and shoulders. Hold the pose and take five to eight breaths as you progress.

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5. Marjariasana-Bitilasana aka Cat-Cow Pose

This is a flow posture, a combination of two poses done one after the other. This helps relieve lower back pain, increases neck and shoulder flexibility, improves postures and spine health. Breathe in as you stretch your neck looking up and breathe out as you look down. Do this flow four to six time as you begin.

These yoga postures are simple and effective. But make sure you practice it under some guidance and do not try it alone until you are well verse with the technique.