When you think about yoga, you might immediately picture fitness enthusiasts in incredibly complex positions and movements. Although it is true some advanced poses do require immense flexibility and are extremely difficult to execute, you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the exercise. Anyone can do yoga regardless of your age, balance issues, stubborn stiffness, or limited mobility. It is crucial especially for older adults to stay physically active to maintain their overall good health. Here are the benefits and top reasons why you should try chair yoga.
Increased Strength
It helps to build strength in the muscles utilized in doing certain yoga poses. The enhanced strength can result in improved balance, which ultimately lowers the likelihood of falls. Even in the event of a fall, the body can withstand injuries better with increased strength.
Improved Sleep
Engaging in regular exercise is often correlated with improved sleep and chair yoga has that effect on your body as well. Physical exertion during the exercise can help to make you or your aging loved one feel more tired and sleep more easily. Since chair yoga is a relatively gentle exercise while being able to reduce stress and pain, it can help to alleviate any potential disruptive discomforts during a good night’s sleep. If your loved one is experiencing an irregular sleeping pattern, there are many tips to help seniors sleep better.
Increased Flexibility
The ability to move freely, stretch, bend, and twist is essential for many more than just yoga. It can allow you to perform tasks that you need to do and enjoy your favorite activities or hobbies. While old age is often misconceived with the inevitable loss of flexibility, it actually goes by the rule of “use it or lose it”. Hence, you can improve mobility and flexibility by challenging your body with chair yoga.
Improved Pain Management
Other than providing stimulation for the body to emit natural painkillers, chair yoga also adds useful tools which can hone your pain management skills. Additionally, the exercise’s focus on breath and meditation can be imparted to different situations to cope with discomfort and pain.
Reduced Pain
Multiples studies conducted have proven that exercise can greatly aid in reducing pain. The reason is due to the body being prompted to release the endorphins-like natural painkillers during a workout. Doing chair yoga also corresponds to this as it allows you to gain from this natural pain relief.
Reduced Stress
Being mindful is fundamental to yoga. Concentrating on how your body reacts to the exercise, your breathing and movement develops a type of moving meditation that lowers stress levels, improves mental clarity, and promotes relaxation. Similar to other forms of exercise, chair yoga helps to boost mood and provide relief from psychological issues like depression and anxiety.
Live in the Best Independent Senior Living Community at Conservatory At Plano (CAP)
At CAP, we want our residents to not only live but to live their lives to the fullest without any stress or worries. With our professional team members, your loved one will lead a relaxing and enriching independent lifestyle. Contact us to find out more about our independent senior living program.
