At your old age, suffering a stroke may affect your brain and body’s capacity to perform. Your intellect, movement, perception and sensation are some of the abilities that can be compromised by stroke. However, researchers have discovered that you can improve your life after stroke with yoga.
Veterans and elderly people who survived a stroke can take on yoga. Even after years of a stroke, yoga can help you in many ways. Yoga for the elderly can include simple and easy poses. A specialized version of yoga including modified floor-based, standing and seated yoga exercises can be availed even to seniors who have suffered paralysis due to a stroke.
How Yoga Can Help
Yoga can assist in improving your balance. Recovering your balance can help to stop falling, which is a common sequel of stroke. Moreover, you may boost your confidence and lessen the fear of painful or even deadly falls.
Having better balance can make you more independent. Maintaining your independence can be brought about by having the ability to perform your daily tasks. You may not have the need to rely on others for your everyday tasks such as bathing unassisted.
As your body improves from performing yoga exercises you can potentially reduce future disability. Your body and brain may continue to improve long after the yoga course. As your health continues so is the likelihood of living longer.
A stroke is an isolating condition. Seniors who have suffered from a stroke find themselves isolated and may not be able to visit family and friends. Research showed that persons who took on the yoga course were able to get out and about unaided.
Other than being mobile, yoga can also help in treating depression brought about by isolation. The poses in combination with meditation and breathing can make the brain work harder to change. You may be able to integrate into society and get your life back.
Taking yoga classes can also improve you physical being. While the poses improve your balance you also become physically fit. Seniors who participated in the study also showed that in overall, yoga made them happier.
The pilot study showed potential these benefits from yoga. The 47 participants with the oldest being 90 attended the yoga classes under a registered yoga therapist. As time advanced and with encouragement from their spouses, the skeptical group was able to complete the challenging course.
