Great Yoga Poses for Seniors

The art of practicing yoga has been around for thousands of years and is one form of exercise that has truly stood the test of time. One of the great things about yoga, is that it is truly for everyone. While there are yoga poses that are clearly meant for the more experienced, flexible and stronger practitioners there are also plenty of yoga poses that are perfect for seniors and won?t cause any pain or discomfort.

Seniors who practice yoga regularly can enjoy a number of benefits from this practice. This includes better posture, flexibility, more muscle tone and strength and more. It can also help restore both the mind and body and help your entire system work as it is supposed to. It can help promote better digestion, combat stress and anxiety and help seniors find peace of mind. Overall, seniors who do yoga are simply healthier individuals.

With this I n mind, here are a few easy, yet effective yoga poses that seniors can start incorporating into their routine.

Mountain Pose

This pose is great for practicing the important, cleansing breaths that are so vital to yoga practice. It is also great for the ankles, knees, thighs and core. It is the perfect pose for seniors who want to build more muscle stability so they don?t have to worry as much about falls.

Here?s how to do it:

• Stand tall with the arms at your side, looking straight ahead. Distribute the weight in your feet evenly.
• Take a deep breath in. Raise your arms up and interlock them above your head, while raising your toes at the same time.
• Hold this pose for several seconds or as long as you can.
• Exhale and slowly lower the hands and feet down, relaxing the shoulders.

Seniors should try to do this a few times in a row to begin and eventually build up to 10 big breaths.

Corpse Pose
Corpse pose is extremely easy, yet extremely effective. It is great for relaxing the mind and helping seniors improve concentration. It is also an important pose to help relieve muscle tension and anxiety and to help lower blood pressure.

Here?s how to do it:

• Lie flat on the back with the arms and legs straight but not touching the rest of your body, like a corpse.
• Breath in and out with deep breaths while relaxing every part of the body.
• Hold this pose for at least 10 minutes while feeling all of the muscles in the body loosen and relax.

This is one pose that will have any senior feeling refreshed and less tired.

Child?s Pose

Child?s pose is another restorative pose. It can help stretch the shoulders and the back, especially the low back and promote better digestion and blood flow. It can also help with tension and flexibility.

Here?s how to do it:

• Position yourself on your hands and knees, with your back flat.
• Push your rear end towards your ankles, leaving your arms stretched out in front of you, elongating them as much as possible.
• Place the forward directly down on the mat.
• Take several, deep, cleansing breaths, focusing on having the breath settle into the back.

Hold this position for a minute and then rest and repeat.

Keep these poses in mind if you want to help your senior loved one get started with yoga. They are all powerful ways to help introduce any older adult to this wonderful, ancient practice.