4 Yoga Poses for Senior Citizens

The practice of yoga can be beneficial for everybody in order to achieve wellness. This might even be beneficial to help age better as it keeps the body flexible and it builds strength using low impact moves. Engaging in yoga should be a great option as it doesn’t require you to use special equipment and it can also be performed anywhere. Here are some popular yoga poses for seniors that you can mimic effortlessly.

1. The Tree Pose

• With palms together, you have to stand with legs together while keeping your arms straight over the head.
• Raise the right leg a bit off the ground so your toes are still on the ground while the heel should be touching the inside part of the ankle.
• You have to hold your balance for at least 20-30 seconds.
• Repeat this with your other leg. If you need to, try to hold onto something.

2. The Warrior 2

Standing poses help improve the density of the bones, as it also improve strength of the lower body.

• Start by keeping your feet at hip distance apart, while your arms straight at the sides.
• Turn over to the right and step the right foot out reaching as wide as 3-4 feet at the same time keeping the heels in line. Then, you need to turn the right foot out to a nearly 90-angle.
• Inhale as you raise the arms straight to your sides to the height of the shoulder.
• When exhaling, you need to bend your right leg so that your thigh should be parallel to the floor. Just keep your left leg straight.
• You need to hold this for about 30 seconds and concentrate on your breath.
• Repeat this pose with your other leg.

3. The Extended Puppy

This is mix between the child’s pose and the downward dog pose. This offers benefits by lengthening the spine without the discomfort on the hips and knees.

• Begin through a table top position on all fours with the knees below the hips. Your wrists should be below your shoulders. Then, put a towel below the knees if necessary.
• Try to walk your hands in front so that your chest should be close to the ground. Meanwhile, your hips should remain over your knees.
• Keep the head down, while pressing your hands and arms into the ground.
• Try to breathe as deeply as 20-30 seconds, before returning slowly to the table top position.

4. Legs Up the Wall Pose

Use a restorative pose so that you can have gentle releases as other poses without straining when bending over.

• You have to sit on one side of the body against the wall. Then, gently lower your back to the floor. Shifting the legs up the wall should be your next move until the back of your legs are already flat on the wall.
• If getting your legs flat against a wall is hard, try to move your body slightly back from the wall as you can bend your knees slightly. Just keep your arms flat at the sides.
• Try to breathe deeply for around 30-60 seconds.
• Then, gently swing the legs down the wall.