Chair Yoga for Seniors to Improve Health

As we grow old our muscles start to get rigid and lose flexibility. It can happen due to a number of reasons including water loss in our connective tissues and a decrease in elasticity of ligaments.

It’s not necessary that we have to face health problems as we age, through adopting a healthy lifestyle we can also age healthily.

Yoga can have a big impact on maintaining your health as you start to grow older. You might think that seniors can’t do yoga without getting injured because it’s all about being extremely flexible and strong.

Well, in that case, we introduce you to chair yoga. It’s a gentle and easy form of yoga that can be done simply by sitting on a chair or using it as a support for standing.

What is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is similar to traditional yoga, the only difference is that all the poses are done with the support of a chair which makes it easier even for people suffering from conditions such as chronic pain.

Chair yoga is ideal for elderly people who face problems in moving through the up and down motions of traditional yoga.

All the aspects of chair yoga are similar to hatha yoga but it comes in handy for people who have problems sitting on the floor but still wish to practice yoga.

Who Can Perform Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is commonly performed by elderly people or the ones suffering from musculoskeletal problems.

It is not only efficient for people who are suffering from any problem or are in their old age, most of the people who can’t go to a gym due to their busy routine can also take the benefit of chair yoga.

Most of the people who have a desk job and are confined to their seats for long hours take short breaks to have a walk or perform exercise on medicine balls.

Such people can also perform chair yoga instead of doing other light exercises. It will provide a ton of other benefits such as relieving workspace stress.

Chair yoga is a mindful exercise just like other forms of yoga, it’s your best choice for self-care and to prevent exhaustion during work.

Health Benefits of Chair Yoga

You are well aware of the long list of benefits that traditional yoga has to offer. Luckily, chair yoga can offer you the same benefits but it is more accessible and effective.

Once you start to practice chair yoga you get that feeling of relaxation flowing through your body. In old age, a lot of people start to have anxiety issues, chair yoga is a simple yet effective way to deal with it.

Improved Strength and Flexibility

When practicing chair yoga, you won’t be putting your body in uncomfortable positions but still, you can greatly improve your flexibility.

If you think that the loss of flexibility is inevitable as you age then you are mistaken.

You only start losing flexibility in muscles when you stop using them. Through chair yoga, you are gently challenging your body to improve your mobility at any age.

While doing chair yoga, you will be engaging the major and supporting muscle groups of your body. Through this, you will be able to gain muscular strength and burn calories at the same time.

Your body’s ability to withstand injuries is greatly increased, and you are able to perform daily activities a lot more comfortably.

Get Rid of Aches and Pains

Our body is confined to some sort of physical limitations as we age. Through chair yoga, you can alleviate any sort of chronic pain and aches that arise naturally due to aging.

It also teaches you the methods of dealing with pain without taking stress or losing your cool. Through proper breathing techniques, you can learn how to relax and deal with any problem in your body.

Boosts Your Mood

As you age, it’s difficult to always stay stress-free because you start to feel lonely. Sometimes, external factors such as unwanted loud noises can also make the elderly frustrated very easily.

To deal with such situations, chair yoga comes in handy. A great combination of movements and meditation can boost your psychological health.

A lot of adults complain about the difficulty in falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night. Chair yoga can improve your sleeping routine as it helps you in dealing with stress effectively.

Which Yoga Chair You Should be Using?

Don’t get yourself confused with this question as you can generally use any chair for performing yoga. But, it is always preferred that you use a hard plastic chair with no arms.

Chair Yoga Poses for Flexibility and Balance

Flexibility and balance both are important traits for living your life comfortably. You start to lose them once you start getting old which could arise a lot of other problems.

These are some of the best chair yoga poses that can help you to improve flexibility and balance.

Some people also face problems with flexibility when they practice yoga wearing the wrong apparel. If you are looking for some super comfortable gear for yoga then click here .

Chair Cat-Cow Stretch

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees or thighs.
When you inhale, arch your back upwards and roll your shoulders towards your back.
Now exhale, curve your back and bring your shoulder and head forward.
Repeat these positions for 8-10 breaths.

Chair Forward Bend: Uttanasana

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees or thighs.
Exhale and bend your upper body towards the floor.
The head will be hanging heavy while your hands will be resting on the floor.
Now inhale, raise your body and arms at the starting position.
Repeat this movement several times.

Chair Pigeon: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees or thighs.
Lift your right ankle and put it to rest on your left thigh.
Try to keep your knee and ankle in a straight line.
Bend your upper body forward as you exhale.
Straighten your back as you inhale.

Chair Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees or thighs.
Slide yourself to the corner of the chair.
Extend your left leg as far as you can towards the backside of the chair.
Draw your left hip back and turn your torso to the left
Exhale and open your arms.
Inhale and bring your arms together above your head.

Chair Yoga for Musculoskeletal Strength

Strong bones and muscles are extremely important throughout our lives. When we grow old, our muscles start to lose mass, and joint bones lose their density.

If we are able to maintain the strength of our muscles then our bones also stay strong. Musculoskeletal strength holds great importance to help you deal with chronic pains, and problems like arthritis, osteoporosis, as well as back pain.

Here are some most effective chairs yoga poses that you can try to boost your musculoskeletal strength.

Chair Extended Side Angle: Utthita Parsvakonasana

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees or thighs.
Rotate your torso to the right side and touch the mat across your right foot using your left hand.
Open up your chest as you twist your torso and inhale.
Lift your right arm towards the ceiling.
Hold this position for several breaths.
Repeat the position by rotating to the opposite side.

Chair Tree Pose

Stand close to a chair and maintain your balance by holding it with your left arm.
Now bend your right leg at the knee and rest your right foot on your left thigh.
Grab your waist using your right hand.
Hold this position for 5-8 breaths.
Repeat the same with your other side.

Chair Yoga Side Stretch

Sit on a chair and cross your right leg over the left one.
Grab your left calf using your right hand and bend your torso and neck towards your left.
Lift your right arm and bend it towards the left.
Keep this position for several breaths.
Repeat the same with your opposite side.

Chair Dog Pose

Stand in front of a chair.
Slightly bend your knees and lower your upper back.
Put your hands on the seat, and stretch your spine.
Hold this position for 8-10 breaths.
Return to the starting position.

Which Chair Yoga Poses Help Improving Immunity for Seniors

A strong immune system is necessary to protect us against foreign substances and fight pathogens. It creates a barrier that stops those viruses from invading your body in the first place.

The reason why seniors get sick often is due to a weak immune system. Feeling tired and fatigued throughout the day is another symptom of a weak immune system.

Throughout our lives, we are exposed to countless germs. Due to this the thymus eventually starts to lose its efficiency.

This is the part of the immune system that is responsible for sending signals to our immune system for fighting infection-causing germs.

Can Chair Yoga Help to Boost Immunity?

Research proves that stress is one of the biggest reasons why your immune system weakens. As chair yoga helps us to kick out stress so in turn, it maintains your immune system.

This is only one aspect, all the chair yoga poses incorporate breathing exercises, which increase your lung capacity as well as eliminate toxins from your body.

All the chair yoga poses discussed above can be highly effective to boost your immunity. You will see positive changes in your body when you maintain a proper routine of practicing them and keep a check on your diet.

Takeaway

Whether you are an elder person who has problems with performing traditional yoga or you suffer from any chronic pain, chair yoga can help you solve all these difficulties.

Adding chair yoga into your daily routine can significantly help you in strengthening your muscles and bones at any age.

As this deadly pandemic is preying on the lives of people around the world, strong immunity is crucial to stay safe.

With the help of chair yoga, you can boost your immunity easily. The poses are simple and you don’t have to put your body in extremely uncomfortable positions.

“This article is originally posted on borntough.com, and borntough.com own the sole copyright on this article. If you read this article outside borntough.com, please report this website to the authority because they have stolen the content from borntough.com and violated borntough copyright”

Source