Explore Yoga Techniques to Learn How Gentle Exercises Can Help Seniors Maintain Their Health and Mobility
Flexibility is an essential part of senior health and mobility. Pegasus Home Health Care experts in Chatsworth and elsewhere encourage you to explore yoga techniques to improve your ability to move. You’ll discover mind and body benefits as you practice the exercises.
Yoga has many aspects to it, just as your mind and body have many aspects. Yoga is extremely adaptable. It can be easily tailored to meet your unique abilities and needs.
You’ve probably seen individuals with their bodies twisted into contorted positions. That’s a yoga stereotype. It’s no more accurate than any other stereotype.
Yoga does include physical positions, called poses, or asanas. A breathing technique usually accompanies the pose. Depending on the pose, you may hold it and your breath for a specific period of time to benefit.
Awareness and focusing on what you’re doing are vital concepts of yoga poses. If you are aware of your body, your mind, and your breath at the same time, you are practicing yoga. If you feel happy and comfortable, you are doing it correctly.
Yoga Includes Something For Everyone
The primary types of yoga include:
- Hatha – focuses on the basic physical poses. These are usually part of introductory classes.
- Vinyasa – students move smoothly from one pose to another.
- Ashtanga – breathing is coordinated with movement
- Bikram – a specialized practice conducted in a heated room
- Restorative – poses designed for relaxation
- Chair – individuals with limited mobility use a chair for support. Poses may also be completed while sitting.
- Water – poses are conducted in water (such as a swimming pool) and are more comfortable for individuals with joint pain.
The names can vary from one teacher to another, but the poses remain the same.
Find a Teacher
Although you can learn yoga from videos, it’s a good idea to start with an instructor. You can take one-on-one lessons or join a group. A teacher can help you choose poses that give you the most benefit without risk of injury.
Like everything else, safety comes first with yoga. Individuals in good health rarely have a problem with any of the poses. Special conditions, such as a joint replacement, may preclude doing certain poses.
Always consult your health care practitioner before starting any form of exercise, including yoga. Then discuss your medical issues with your instructor. Start with the gentlest poses, and learn to do them correctly.
Pegasus senior care aides can assist you with finding an instructor if desired. Our services also include transporting you to your classes. Our home health specialists can help evaluate the effect of the exercises on your mobility and health.
Yoga involves listening to your body. If a pose is painful, stop immediately. Never force your body to go too far in a pose or hold it for too long.
Because you can pick and choose poses, your yoga practice can accommodate your physical limitations, if any. The overall benefits of the poses for everyone include improvements in your:
- Immune system
- Muscle tone
- Stress levels
Improvements such as these can reduce your chances of becoming ill.
Specific chair exercises help relieve back pain as well as improve circulation. Some instructors refer to them as “detox” poses. Many involve a twisting motion.
These need to be done carefully. It’s too easy to use your chair to force yourself into a deep twist. It’s essential to learn how to do twists correctly to avoid potential injury.
One of the important benefits for seniors who do yoga is improved balance. Your bones and muscles also gain strength. That decreases the likelihood of falls as well as helps you recover quicker if you do fall.
The poses are low-impact, gentle, and serve to increase your flexibility. The controlled breathing techniques enhance the physical benefits. You’ll notice improvements in your respiratory system.
Better breathing supplies more oxygen to your brain. Those who practice yoga regularly discover greater mental clarity. They also experience less anxiety and depression.
Yoga is known to reduce high blood pressure. That’s due partly to regulating your breathing, which calms your nervous system. The sense of well-being imparted by yoga also is a significant factor in maintaining cardiovascular health.
Additionally, studies have shown that yoga can be helpful in managing a variety of health problems. These include, but aren’t limited to:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Digestive issues
- Inflammation
- Insomnia
- Pain
- Recovery from surgery
- Strokes
You will need to practice regularly, as just trying a few poses now and then isn’t effective.
Improved physical and mental agility gives many seniors a feeling of empowerment and independence. Those who are participating in a group find pleasure in being part of a community. Yoga classes tend to be lighthearted and uplifting.
Pegasus Home Health Care Encourages Independence
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. We strive to keep each of our clients in Chatsworth and our other locations independent and comfortable. Whether or not you choose to practice yoga, we are always here for you, helping you live safely in your own home.
