Regular exercise can be challenging for seniors who are less mobile or suffering from health conditions. However, chair yoga offers an accessible way to bring gentle movement back into daily life, as well as the additional benefits yoga provides. This article will explore the benefits of chair yoga, how chair yoga can build strength and improve your health, and provide a chair yoga workout plan to get you started.
Chair yoga offers a wide range of physical, mental, and social benefits for seniors:
As with all forms of exercise, to experience the benefits of chair yoga, you need regular and consistent practice. This is generally at least 1-2 times per week. Studies have shown that at least 12 weeks of chair yoga practiced twice weekly can lead to a significant improvement in fitness and reduced fear of falls (2).
As it’s a gentle form of exercise, a daily practice of chair yoga for seniors is safe and effective for healthy individuals. Please follow your doctor’s advice if you suffer from any health conditions.
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Chair yoga is a low-impact form of exercise. While all forms of movement will burn some calories, higher intensity exercises are more effective for noticeable weight loss.
For those who struggle with mobility, such as seniors, chair yoga may be a valuable practice to get back into exercising. Once they become more mobile through chair yoga exercises, they may then be able to move on to other forms of exercise that are more focused on weight loss, if that’s their concern.
For seniors who are already in good health, there are chair yoga poses that can be adapted to create a higher-intensity workout that may help with weight loss.
Due to its accessibility and the low risk of injury, chair yoga is the perfect type of yoga for seniors to practice.
For seniors who are struggling with their health, mobility, and energy levels, it can be difficult to exercise regularly. However, chair yoga for seniors is effective and accessible as it provides many health benefits through seated movement.
In addition, it’s common for seniors to be concerned about injury and falls, which can cause stress and anxiety and make exercising less appealing. However, chair yoga for seniors, provides very low risk for injury and has even proven that it can balance stress hormones (1).
Overall, chair yoga for seniors is high in benefits and low in risks, which makes it a brilliant way to maintain strength, balance, and mobility.
The following chair yoga postures are suitable for people of all abilities, including seniors with limited mobility. These chair yoga poses can be practiced individually or as a daily or weekly sequence.
It’s recommended that you practice these postures under the guidance of a certified yoga teacher and follow the advice of your doctor if you’ve been diagnosed with a health condition or are taking any medication.
This posture is a great way to start your chair yoga practice. It focuses on stillness and breath, which will calm and steady the mind and prepare the body for gentle movement.
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This version of eagle just focuses on the movement of the arms. It provides a stretch to the upper back and shoulders. It also creates a slight compression to the chest, elbows, and wrists, which when released, encourages fresh blood flow to these areas and boosts circulation.
Cat-cow is usually practiced on the floor in a tabletop position. However, when it’s performed seated, it can still provide many benefits, including gently increasing flexibility in the spine and neck and encouraging full use of the lungs through the body’s movement with the breath. Ths movement of the spine is believed to be energizing for the body.
A spinal twist has many benefits for the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system. It’s easy and effective to practice while sitting in a chair.
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This forward fold will stretch the mid and lower back and support spinal health. This posture is good for circulation, but if you suffer from particularly low blood pressure, you may want to avoid bringing your head down below your knees and seek advice from your doctor.
While many of the postures above are focused on the spine and the upper body, the seated pigeon pose will activate your hips and pelvis. For seniors, healthy hips are important for keeping mobile as this is an area that can become stiff due to decreased mobility and spending more time seated. Therefore, it can be more challenging. However, over time and through regular practice, you’ll experience the benefits.
Generally, it’s clear that chair yoga provides many benefits for seniors and can be adapted to suit all mobility needs. It’s a safe way to reintroduce movement for those who have experienced health issues or injuries, or who haven’t exercised for a long time.
Read more: Unlocking Relaxation: The Magic of Restorative Chair Yoga
Results will vary from person to person, depending on your age and health status, but generally, people who stick to a consistent yoga practice start to feel the physical and mental benefits in 6-12 weeks (3).
Both have benefits and may suit different people depending on their health and mobility. However, Pilates may not be accessible to all, so chair yoga is a brilliant way for seniors to start an exercise routine as there is very little injury risk.
Yes, chair yoga counts as exercise, although it’s a less strenuous form of movement. This makes it the perfect form of exercise for those who are suffering from health conditions or reduced mobility, such as seniors. It’s also possible to adapt some chair yoga poses to make them more challenging for those who are in good health or who have practiced chair yoga for a while and want to increase their endurance.
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