The Benefits of Yoga for seniors

The Benefits of Yoga for seniors
"Yoga" originated from ancient Indian culture and has a history of thousands of years. For modern people, yoga is a way of exercise that achieves the harmony and unity of body, mind and spirit. Various studies and researches (done worldwide) suggest that the practice of yoga's physical postures known as "asanas" and "breathing methods" (pranayama) and meditations (dhyana) for seniors is not only good for the body but also improves depression symptoms and improves sleep quality.
Can the elderly practice yoga?
Middle-aged and elderly people are no longer suitable for strenuous and expensive exercise due to the body's ageing and degradation. mental health care homes uk Yoga is soothing, gentle, focusing on nourishing and strengthening the body, and can cultivate one's body, suitable for all people to practice, especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. Yoga's asanas are different from general exercises. It keeps the body in a static posture by slowly contracting certain muscles of the body, and then relaxes the whole body to allow the muscles to be completely adjusted and recuperated so that a large amount of energy is stored in the body. In view of this, the elderly or the physically weak are especially suitable for practising yoga asanas.
Relieve muscle stress
With the increase of age, the quality of muscles is deteriorating day by day. The charm of yoga is that even an ordinary Hatha yoga practice can relieve the practitioner's muscle pressure and enhance muscle toughness. Downward dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana), flat pose, warrior 1 pose (Virabhadrasana I), and warrior 2 poses (Virabhadrasana II) are especially suitable for yoga beginners, and they have a good effect on improving strength.
Enhance flexibility and Relieve pain
As time goes by and activities decrease, the muscles of the elderly lose some elasticity, and it is even difficult for some elderly people to bend over and bend their knees to tie a shoelace in daily life. For these elderly people with poor flexibility, it is recommended to try sitting forward flexion. People who have difficulty can use yoga bands to stretch their shoulders and hamstrings; Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) or Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) can also be flexible for the spine; Mountain Pose Side Bend (Eka Pada Parsva Tadasana) can stretch muscles along the trunk. Both the cobra pose (Bhujangasana) and the baby pose (Balasana) help relieve pain; the beam angle pose (Parighasana) helps relieve hip pain.
Improve balance
Imbalances in balance are common among elderly people over 65. This is why the elderly are prone to falling. As we all know, the decline in physical function of the elderly may threaten their lives once falling. Practising balance asanas in yoga can help older people strengthen their bones and keep their bodies stable while walking and standing. Depending on the individual's situation, yoga tree pose(Vrikshasana), side plank pose (Vasisthasana), and half-moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana)can better help the elderly improve their balance ability.
Strong bones
Osteoporosis is one of the biggest health problems of the elderly. If a person suffers from osteoporosis, his bones will be very fragile, bone density will decrease, and the risk of fracture will increase several times. Studies have found that yoga can increase bone density in patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Yoga Triangle Pose(Utthita Trikonasana), Warrior 1, Warrior 2, (Virabhadrasana I&II)) and Flat Pose can highlight antagonistic muscles.
Improve concentrations
As age changes, so does the brain. This means that the attention and memory of most elderly people will decrease. Yoga like pranayama and meditation can stimulate the brain and nervous system, thereby improving concentration and memory. Pranayama, through focused breathing, keeps the mind clear and relaxes the nerves. Meditation can also keep one's mind at peace. As the time of meditation increases, it helps practitioners get rid of mental dilemmas and gain inner peace of mind. ‘Sukhasana’ is the tranquil pose for pranayama and meditation.
Conclusion
Practising yoga for the elderly can delay ageing, enhance their own resistance, and be good for the body. It can also give a healthier body and mentality after retirement. But the elderly should pay attention to practising yoga: First, Do you have any diseases in your body? For example, high school pressure, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis, or even rheumatoid arthritis, you need the consent of your doctor to practice, and during the practice, a professional yoga teacher will tell you If you can’t do or don’t do any action, try not to do it or do it less. In short, if you practice it on the premise of safety, it will benefit your body. Most of the best care homes in UK have the facility of practising yoga under their strict surveillance.