Yoga For Seniors – Healthy Aging For The Mind & Body

By: Karey Lynn Krampota, RYT-200

Yoga can support your mind and body through each life stage. As you enter into your senior years, practicing yoga can offer you many benefits.

What are the top reasons seniors should consider yoga?

• Gain strength, stability and vitality
• Reduce pain and tension in the body
• Improve balance and movement mobility
• Decrease stress and emotional deregulation in the mind
• Enhance overall mental and body awareness

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), “Yoga can contribute to healthy aging in many ways, including improving mobility, balance, and mental health. Some studies have even linked yoga to improvements in cellular aging.” 

As you age, yoga also can help in the following ways:

• Flexibility: Prevent stiffness and improve range of motion, making the body feel more youthful. 
• Muscle tone: Support the body’s structure and prevent age-related muscle loss. 
• Posture and alignment: Prevent back pain and spinal misalignment. 
• Stress and relaxation: Manage stress effectively. 
• Balance and stability: Strengthen stabilizer muscles, which can improve balance and stability and reduce the risk of falling. 
• Joint pain and stiffness: Yoga’s stretching movements can help reduce joint pain and stiffness. 
• Brain health: Some studies have found that yoga can improve brain function and cognitive tasks. 

If seniors want to join a class, what should they know to get started? 

Before starting any exercise routine, it’s always important to talk with your healthcare provider. They can give you insight into any health conditions that may need modifications or accommodations to participate in a healthy and safe way. 

The best way to get started in a class is to determine what type of class may be of interest to you and which aligns with your current health and wellness goals. For example, if you have a preexisting health condition that limits your ability to move up and down from the floor, a chair class would be an option to consider. When attending a class, it’s encouraged to speak with your teacher about any health updates to ensure that the practice is right for you.

What are some of the key poses you focus on for seniors? Chair yoga or using a mat—how can seniors make the most of their practice?

When starting a yoga practice for healthy aging, look for a class that’s tailored to your needs. Those in the aging population can make the most of their yoga practice by communicating with their teacher. Share any health updates or areas that may need some additional care so that your teacher may offer adaptations that allow you to receive the same benefits from the asanas (postures). 

Consistency is another important factor to make the most of your practice. When you come to class regularly, perhaps once a week, it offers you the opportunity to deepen your practice while improving your wellbeing.

Some of the most common asanas (postures) practiced in a healthy aging class include: 

• Seated Positions – forward bends, backbends, lateral bends and twists. 

• Standing Positions with the support of the chair – forward bends, balancing postures, backbends, lateral bends and twists. 

These common asanas in Chair Yoga are intended for a whole body, gentle practice from your head to your feet. Asanas practiced give the opportunity to reduce pain and improve mobility with ease through the support of a chair. There is transitional time taken between each posture to take some restful breaths or a drink of water. 

What do others have to say about their experience with Chair Yoga classes? 

“I had an interest in yoga for a few years before attending sessions. My initial impression was that it’s a practice for the young, flexible and generally female. After discussing this with a massage therapist who also was involved in yoga instruction, I was convinced I should try the senior chair yoga. Kind of tentative, not sure how it would work.

I discovered that yoga was much more difficult than I expected! Poses that look easy when watching an experienced person are challenging to learn, to pace, to breathe. And well worth the effort; everything becomes easier with practice. It is still a good physical workout, certainly beneficial to build and maintain muscle.

Balance: I had fallen several times (outdoors, home and work) in the 2-3 years before starting to practice yoga. Enough to scare me! Falls are the first step in disability. Since attending classes regularly, I have not fallen, even in winter, on slippery floors. Balance alone is sufficient reason to practice.

Physical therapy: after hip replacement surgery, I discovered that many of the exercises, stretches and motions used in physical therapy/rehab were similar to yoga poses. This made my recovery easier and faster.

Future: I plan to continue the practice, working around future hip and knee repair surgeries. This is something anyone of almost any age and ability can do, and can see results. 

Classmates: I believe I’m one of the younger people in our practice. It’s remarkable to me how healthy, flexible and positive these folks are. Age isn’t a number, it’s attitude and willingness to adapt. Many lessons for me as I observe others. The positive atmosphere at 5 Koshas is inspiring.” -LJ

“As we age we become much less limber and may start to experience balance problems.

Yoga addresses all of these issues, my preference is chair yoga at 5 Koshas. Anyone can do it. For myself, yoga has been life changing. I’ve learned about the importance of core strengthening, something I was only vaguely aware of prior to starting yoga.

Yoga has become a vital component of my daily life. I began yoga classes at the suggestion of a physician, after experiencing some pretty intense back pain. He thought yoga would help me and he was 100 percent correct. I cannot stress enough how great yoga is.” -MVJ

“I joined so I would have an incentive to get moving, and using a chair was good for me. I would not have been able to get up off the floor! I have found that it has helped me improve my flexibility and balance, plus the camaraderie of being with others. I’ve also been able to do some of the moves at home on the days there is no class. I would highly recommend Chair Yoga!” -MC

Karey Lynn Krampota teaches Viniyoga, a style of yoga linking your breath with your movement that is adapted to support your physical and emotional needs. She offers classes for students throughout various stages of life: sunrise (children) mid-day and sunset (senior).  She has taught Chair Yoga Therapeutic classes since 2018. Learn More About Karey Here: https://www.5koshasyoga.com/teachers/karey-lynn-krampota/

5 Koshas offers two weekly Chair Yoga Therapeutic classes:

• Mondays 10-10:45 AM with Pauline Zweck, E-RYT 200 & Mary Kluz, RYT-500
• Thursdays 1-1:45 PM with Karey Lynn Krampota, RYT-200

Both classes are Hybrid – Online via Zoom & In-Studio at 5 Koshas and offer a video recording with 5 Day access. Learn More & Register Here: https://5koshasyoga.punchpass.com/classes

Questions? Email The 5 Koshas Team at office@5koshasyoga.com