Chair yoga for seniors: 10 greatest poses to enhance posture and adaptability

Yoga may also help to enhance posture and strengthen the physique. Aged folks also can do it. Chair yoga for seniors may also help them to remain match.

What’s chair yoga?

It’s a type of yoga that may be completed whereas sitting or standing. A chair is used as a supportive system whereas doing yoga, permitting folks, particularly senior residents, with concern of fall and stability issues to observe safely. “Elderly people with balance issues, knee, hips, or back problems who cannot exercise standing, can do chair yoga for seniors,” says health coach Dr Mickey Mehta.

Chair yoga is nice for folks with stability points. Picture courtesy: Adobe inventory

It may be completed wherever, anytime, however simply ensure that the chair doesn’t have wheels, and is secure. You need to use a picket chair, or a steel folding one, ideally backless.

What are the advantages of chair yoga for seniors?

Chair yoga for seniors is useful particularly for folks with decrease physique issues. Throughout an evaluation printed within the Worldwide Journal of Scientific Analysis in 2023, chair yoga was discovered to be simpler in aged folks with decrease extremity issues. One other examine printed within the Healthcare journal in 2023 confirmed that it helped in bettering the practical health and day by day life exercise scores of aged ladies with knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint illness.

Listed below are a few of the advantages of doing chair yoga for seniors:

Elevated joint mobility and adaptability: “Chair yoga for seniors helps improve flexibility, particularly in the spine, shoulders, and hips,” says the skilled. Muscle strengthening: By utilizing postures and motions tailor-made to the chair, it really works the muscular tissues within the decrease, higher, and core areas. Throughout a 2019 examine printed within the Matters in Geriatric Rehabilitation journal, researchers discovered that the contributors who did chair yoga noticed an enchancment in higher and decrease limb muscle power, agility and stability. Higher posture: By fostering spinal alignment and strengthening again muscular tissues, it aids in higher posture. Improved circulation: “The mild motions improve blood flow and circulation, particularly for people who might sit for extended periods of time,” says Dr Mehta. Fats discount: Doing yoga helps cut back physique fats by growing blood circulation to muscular tissues and fats cells. “This releases fat for energy, and so, helps in weight loss,” says the skilled.Chair yoga for seniors: 10 poses you may try1. Chair Tadasana or Mountain Pose Sit straight on the chair to do the seated model of the Mountain Pose. Interlock your fingers, inhale and stretch your fingers upwards together with your palms dealing with the ceiling. Exhale and progressively deliver down your fingers.2. Chair Vakrasana or Spinal Twist Pose Sit straight in your chair. Inhale and twist your physique in the direction of your proper facet whereas holding the again of your chair with each the fingers. Exhale then do it on the left facet.3. Chair Garudasana or Eagle Pose To do chair yoga for seniors, sit on the furnishings, inhale, cross your proper arm over the left one on the elbow, and take a look at touching each your palms. Exhale, cross your proper thigh over the left one, and take a look at turning your proper foot on the calf of your left one. Then, do it on the opposite facet.4. Chair Uttanasana or Ahead Bend Sit, inhale and bend ahead over your legs. Loosen your fingers and contact the ground in case you can.5. Chair Utthita Parsvakonasana or Prolonged Facet Angle Pose Sit on the chair, inhale and bend ahead over your legs. Loosen your fingers and contact the bottom. Take your proper hand subsequent to your left foot.6. Chair Pawanmuktasana or Wind-Relieving Pose Sit, inhale, increase your proper leg upward in the direction of your chest and take a look at touching your brow to your knee. Exhale, do it together with your left leg.7. Chair Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose Stand behind the chair, holding its again relaxation. Inhale and stretch upward to do the Cobra Pose. Exhale, stand straight and loosen up your physique.Cobra poseCobra pose aka Bhujangasana could be completed on the ground or chair. Picture courtesy: Shutterstock8. Chair Virabhadrasana or Warrior Pose Preserve your proper leg folded at 90 levels on the facet of the chair. Your left leg needs to be straight and prolonged behind. Inhale and lift your hand on the shoulder degree. Elevate each your fingers upward, and press them collectively.9. Upavistha Ardha Utkatasana or Seated Determine 4 Stretch Sit upright together with your toes flat on the ground. Place your proper ankle in your left knee, making a “figure four” form together with your legs. Gently press down in your proper knee to deepen the stretch. Maintain for a number of breaths after which change sides.10. Chair Urdhva Hastasana or Raised Fingers Pose To do chair yoga for seniors, sit, inhale, and take your arms up. Loosen up your shoulders and keep good higher physique posture.

Chair yoga for seniors could be completed by aged folks, and even newbies. But when your physique hurts whereas doing any of the poses, it’s best to take a break and seek the advice of a health care provider.

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Associated FAQs

What kind of chair is greatest for yoga?

Use a backless chair fabricated from wooden or steel to do yoga. It will likely be simpler to do yoga poses with this kind of chair. Do not use chairs with wheels, as there isn’t a stability.

What number of days every week do you have to do chair yoga?

You are able to do chair yoga two to 3 instances in every week. In case you really feel comfy, you can also make it a part of your day by day health routine.

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