Our elderly friends have certainly become health buffs in their own right! While exercising seemed impossible for seniors whose generation doesn’t include bulging muscles during their younger years, these alternative methods of keeping one’s body fit indeed got them hooked.
Yoga remains as the most recommended exercise for the elderly because it’s kinder to stiff joints and won’t cause any damage when done with a professional instructor. Aside from that, yoga adapts to one’s capabilities, not the other way around. To further prove that this kind of exercise is ultra safe, there are pregnant women who choose to belong to yoga classes than do any other form of exercise. Some of the known benefits of yoga are fitter and leaner body, relaxed mind and calmer being.
We all know how nasty the affects of old age can get. Fortunately, yoga alleviates these symptoms for a better you by helping you get in touch with yourself and boosting your self-esteem. In a way, yoga prevents emotional problems from occurring while the physical improvement it brings is a surefire way to delay, if not avoid, health problems from occurring. In other words, yoga is good for both mind and body which ultimately creates a positive outlook in a senior’s life.
All yoga poses or body positions have their own effects on the body. For seniors, the most popular of which are poses that can improve blood circulation and flexibility for better range of motion. On the other hand, breathing techniques which are introduced when doing yoga clear the air passages, allowing us to draw air from the lungs more easily.
When doing yoga, it is wise to gauge yourself during sessions. First timers should not find themselves tired and aching after a session, on the contrary, you should be calm and relaxed during and after each session. In order for seniors to achieve this, it is important that you respect your body’s limits and stop when it tells you so. Never, and I repeat NEVER, try to push yourself beyond your limits just because you saw the girl next to you did more. Yoga poses are done only if you can and achieving Yoga’s full benefits mean you should do the positions properly otherwise you are only exposing your body to injuries. Yoga should be simple enough to do, that’s why it has become one of the highly recommended exercises for seniors.
Other milder forms of exercise for seniors are brisk walking, swimming, tai chi and jogging. Exercise helps seniors fight age-related conditions that can affect our overall quality of life. When done on a regular basis, it delays signs of old age significantly.
