Yoga For Older Adults:
5 Health Benefits Of The Practice For... • You Get The Benefits Of Movement — Without The Strain. Exercise is a crucial part of healthy aging, but high-intensity cardio or strength training can also put strain on the body. ...
in class. Many studios offer beginner classes with props for modifications, and some even tailor to older adults. New practitioners should also remember that they can opt to sit in the resting child’s pose or take a seated meditation during more challenging postures.
• Increased Flexibility. ... • Yoga Can Relieve Menopausal Discomfort. • Promotes Good Bone Health. ... • Yoga Keeps The Mind Sharp. • Beginning a yoga practice as an older adult can be intimidating, especially if you’re out of shape or working with health conditions. Although you don’t want to jump into a 90-minute hot yoga class with a group of younger practitioners, starting a gentle practice for beginners can be an excellent way to stay active and lower stress levels. Yoga can have a number of benefits for people over 50, from healthy bones to flexibility to anxiety relief. Ninety-four-year-old yogi Tao Porchon-Lynch swears by yoga as a way to maintain a positive attitude, relieve stress and age gracefully. • Yoga is not only safe for older practitioners, but also effective in keeping the mind and body in good health. If you’re thinking about starting a yoga practice, make sure to find a class and instructor who can meet your needs. • “People can either find an individual teacher to work with when they first start out, or find a studio that works with beginner classes, and see if they tailor to people over 50,” Eva Norlyk Smith, yoga teacher and Managing Editor at YogaUOnline, tells Huff/Post50. • Starting up a new practice may come easily to you if you’ve been fairly physically active through your life, but if you’re out of shape, don’t go straight for a walkSecond Innings | Apr.19 To Jun.19 & Jul.19 To Sep.19.
• “There’s a lot to learn, and most people over 50 run into issues like tight hamstrings, which affects alignment in so many different postures,” Norlyk Smith says. “If you go in and have a 20-yearold doing it perfectly next to you, you’re going to push yourself more than you should.”
If you’re considering starting a yoga routine post-50, scroll through the list below for five health benefits of the ancient stress-relieving practice for older adults.
1. You Get The Benefits Of Movement — Without The Strain.
According to stress expert Dr. Kathleen Hall, regular exercise reduces the risk of death by a third and the cuts the risk of chronic disease by 40 percent. Yoga can be an excellent low-impact exercise options that’s easier on the body than activities like running or weight-lifting.
• “Yoga helps people integrate an exercise program into their routine without some of the downfalls that you can easily come across in different training systems,” says Norlyk Smith. “Yoga does offer strength training because you use the weight of your own body in may of the postures. But unlike regular strength training, because you’re not adding any weight, you’re less likely to get injured.” 2. Increased Flexibility.
The gentle stretching of a yoga poses can
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