Old age comes with a host of medical issues. Your bones start to weaken, vision goes blurry, and focusing on the task at hand becomes hard. Needless to say, a host of health issues like Osteoporosis, Dementia, and cataracts among others make it hard for you to enjoy daily life.
However, that is not supposed to be your reality during later years. The ancient art of yoga can help you enjoy old age without having to resort to medicines or expensive surgeries.
With that said, yoga experts have come up with some excellent yoga for elderly beginners asanas that will help you stay on your toes.
1. Mountain Pose
One of the best and easiest yoga exercises that give the arches of your feet, ankles, and legs a good amount of strength and stretching.
Steps to Practice
- Stand on the yoga mat/floor with both feet directly aligned with your hips.
- Keep both arms by the side of your body with the palms facing outwards.
- Roll your shoulders up, back, and down while lifting your chest.
- Hold this position and stand tall.
2. Warrior I Pose
The perfect yoga asana to improve your body balance and posture. It provides your feet, ankles, calves, and thigh muscles with a good amount of strength.
Steps to Practice
- Stand in the Mountain Pose on the yoga mat.
- Exhale. Step one foot 3 to 4 feet backwards.
- Bend your knee in the front at a 90-degree angle.
- Turn your foot backwards to have it pointing at a 45-degree angle towards the front leg.
- Straighten the back leg.
- Raise both arms to keep them straight and by your ears.
- Keeps your hips stable and try reaching towards the ceiling.
- Try to look up if it is not too uncomfortable for your neck.
3. Standing Knee to Chest Pose
The best yoga for elderly beginners poses which strengthens your core muscles, hips, and ears.
Steps to Practice
- Stand in the Mountain pose on the yoga mat.
- Lift your left knee around the hip height and bend.
- Flex the left foot and balance your body on the right leg.
- Hold this pose with some deep breaths.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
You can also combine yoga practice with some breathing exercises for beginners for good respiratory health during the later years.
The daily practice of these yoga asanas does offer you some major benefits.
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Benefits of Yoga During Later Years
Yoga might be ancient but it does show promise when it comes to providing you with good health and overall well-being.
That said, given below are five benefits of yoga in later years.
1. Helps with Immunity
As your body starts to age, the immune system is not able to function as efficiently as it did in younger years. Luckily, you can practice yoga to improve your immunity system. In the long run, this helps you keep various health issues away.
2. Promotes Good Sleep
As a senior, if you suffer from musculoskeletal issues it becomes hard to sleep peacefully at night. At the same time, a respiratory issue might lead to problems with breathing during sleep. Research has shown that only two months of yoga for senior beginners help you overcome insomnia and other sleep-related issues.
3. Improves Flexibility
Old age comes with a sedentary lifestyle which impacts your body’s level of activity and flexibility. With time if nothing is done then it increases your risk of accidental falls. This helps improve your range of motion with gentle stretches and more flexibility.
4. Increases Strength
During later years, you skip out on physical activity which has a deteriorating impact on your muscles. There is much yoga for senior beginners exercises which require you to bear the entire body weight on one leg at a time. Practising these asanas helps improve your concentration while focusing on that one leg.
In the long run, this improves your overall muscle strength without putting too much pressure on the joints.
5. Helps Relieve Stress
Yoga has a relaxed and calming impact on your body and mind. However, it requires you to focus on the present moment and not worry about the past or future. Moreover, the numerous breathing techniques helps keep your mind away from stressful and chaotic situations. In other words, you learn to let go of the unnecessary drama and live a happy life.
Conclusion
Do you want to enjoy good mental and physical health during later years? Refer to this guide on the best yoga for senior beginners which you can enrol in at a certified yoga school.
