Benefits of Yoga for the Elderly

Benefits of Yoga for the Elderly

Yoga exercises for the elderly can bring various healthy benefits as long as they are done with the right movements. Check out the tips here! Even though you are old, it doesn’t mean you have lost your enthusiasm, given up and are sickly. Don’t be lazy, elderly people still have to exercise. Try yoga practice, because it has great benefits to help maintain the health of the elderly.

In fact, yoga exercises for the elderly can maintain body balance and build strength through low-impact movements. This can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly according to hotroom toledo.

Types of Yoga that are Suitable for Seniors

The type of yoga that is suitable for seniors depends on several things, namely age, fitness level and physical ability. In general, the following are types of yoga that are safe for the elderly:

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga focuses on body postures. Exercises in this type of yoga usually consist of stretching and regulating breathing. That’s why hatha yoga is suitable for beginners and seniors.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is methodical and precise, with a strong emphasis on correct posture. This yoga practice is carried out using props, such as bolsters, straps, blocks and inclined boards to help get the correct position.

Iyengar yoga is the best type of exercise for seniors with arthritis or other chronic conditions.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga is a slow, meditative form of exercise designed to passively release tension. This type of yoga is done without stretching, and is the best type of exercise for the elderly.

Yin Yoga

Yin yoga involves slow movements and focuses on holding poses for long periods of time. This type of yoga involves active stretching of the deep connective tissues.

Kundalini Yoga

Known as mindfulness yoga, kundalini is suitable for seniors who are very spiritually interested. This type of yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, meditation and chanting.

Benefits of Yoga for the Elderly

If done regularly, with appropriate movements and according to body condition, yoga can provide the following benefits for the elderly:

Increase Self-Confidence

Yoga can improve body posture and help elderly people with arthritis expand their body’s range of motion.

Apart from that, various yoga movements can also increase self-confidence so that elderly people will be free from anxiety and depression.

Improved Brain Executive Function and Emotional Resilience

A 2017 study published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics looked at participants over the age of 55 with mild cognitive impairment.

As a result, the group that did yoga showed more improvement in executive brain function and emotional resilience. According to researchers, chanting in kundalini yoga can strengthen the verbal and visual abilities of the elderly.

Reduces the risk of falling

A study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine in 2017 stated that the number of elderly people falling had decreased by 48 percent within 6 months after taking yoga classes.

Improved Breathing

In yoga, seniors are required to practice breathing. Yogic breathing control exercises (pranayama) can expand lung capacity and improve the health of this organ.

A study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics found that elderly women who practiced yoga three times a week for 12 weeks experienced significant improvements in their respiratory function.

Reduces Anxiety and Stress

Through meditation and breathing exercises, yoga can make you calmer. Research has shown that it can lower levels of the stress hormone (cortisol) and help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In a National Institutes of Health survey, more than 85 percent of people who did yoga experienced reduced stress levels.

Improving Sleep Quality

The relaxed and calm sensation felt after regular and regular yoga practice can make elderly people experience a significant increase in the duration and quality of sleep.

These are the various benefits of yoga for the elderly. All these benefits can only be felt if you do yoga movements correctly. So, it would be better if you consult a doctor and yoga instructor first before trying it.