When you think of yoga, do you think of young people bending their bodies past what should be their natural limits? If so, then you might be surprised to learn yoga is something that can be practiced by everyone.
Yes, everyone. It can even be practiced in a chair by those with limited mobility. It’s called “chair yoga.” In this article we will go over the benefits of chair yoga, some examples of chair yoga poses for seniors, and wrap it all up with some tips for a chair yoga routine.
Benefits of Chair Yoga
All the benefits of yoga exist with chair yoga. Restricted movement doesn’t mean restricted benefits. When practiced regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle, chair yoga can improve overall health and mental well-being.
Here are some benefits of chair yoga which may be of particular interest to seniors with limited mobility:
- Improved Strength: A stronger body will improve one’s ability to withstand the effects of aging and help to sustain fewer injuries.
- Improved Flexibility: Greater flexibility can improve one’s ability to extend themselves beyond what they were previously capable of. This can help when it comes to doing things like tying your shoes or picking things up.
- Improved Proprioception: Proprioception is one’s ability to accurately coordinate movement based on the sense of where their body is in space. Greater proprioception can help prevent trips and falls.
- Reduced Stress: Chair yoga leads to a sense of calmness, which inevitably leads to feeling more relaxed and improved overall mental well-being.
- Less Pain: Regular chair yoga can improve one’s ability to cope with pain. Yoga forces you to focus on your breath, which you’ll find can improve your ability to cope with the pain of an injury or illness.
- Social Opportunities: If you’re looking for an excuse to get out and meet new people, look into gyms around you that offer chair yoga classes or yoga classes for seniors.
Chair Yoga Poses for Seniors
In this section we’ll go over some of the most very basic chair yoga poses for seniors, which everyone of nearly all mobility levels should be capable of doing.
When performing each of these poses, focusing on your breath is key. Controlling your breath will allow you to control the pose and eventually hold it for a longer period of time.
Also be sure to stay focused on your spine when performing these poses. Keeping your spine rigid and straight will ensure your are practicing the pose safely and effectively.
With all of that said, here are some examples of chair yoga poses for seniors.
Candle Pose
- Extend arms straight into the air
- Press palms together, forming the tip of a candle
- Hold for 30 seconds
Raised Hands Pose
- Extend arms straight into the air
- If possible, extend legs forward as well
- Hold pose for 30 seconds
Forward Bend Pose
- Extend arms forward
- Bend down, keep back straight
- Try to touch toes, if possible
- Hold pose for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times
Forward Bend Pose With Shoulder Stretch
- Bend forward
- Extend arms back
- Grip fingers together and hold stretch for 30 seconds
- Repeat 3 times
Extended Side Angle Pose
- Keep back straight
- Reach right arm down toward right foot
- Hold pose for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times
- Repeat for left side
Seated Spinal Twist
- Turn body to left side
- Try to stretch until your torso is perpendicular with the back of the chair
- Hold pose for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times
- Repeat for right side
Table Pose
- Put palms behind you on seat of chair
- Raise hips until body forms a solid straight line
- Hold pose for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times
Star Pose
- Extends arms and legs outward (forming a star)
- Hold pose for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times
Conclusion
The examples of chair yoga poses for seniors described above can be combined to create your very first chair yoga routine. Practice as often as you feel you can. If the poses start feeling “too easy”, try holding them for longer periods of time or extending your range of motion.
For more information about limited mobility exercises, we recommend reading some of our previous articles:
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