At various times in our lives, we may consider trying out a new exercise habit. I’ve found that my reasons for exercise have changed over the decades. Working out in the quest for vanity, wanting a challenge, building strength, or having permission to eat a guilt-free cookie have been motivating factors. As I age, I now work out for health and longevity. Yoga is a healthy habit worth starting at any age and directly contributes to the quality and quantity of life. The yoga benefits for seniors and baby boomers are clear. Yoga is known to reduce anxiety, alleviate pain, protect bones and joints, and keep our minds sharp while staying connected with others.
According to an article from AARP, Cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornesh believed that yoga and meditation could even reverse heart disease when combined with other lifestyle modifications. Essential yoga benefits for seniors and baby boomers are improved strength, balance, and flexibility as we age.
Improved Strength and Enhanced Balance
Strength building is a known benefit of yoga. Simply remaining in a static pose increases endurance and decreases stress on the muscles over time. Muscle activation is vital for stabilizing postures. An engaged core, hip flexors, quads, and glutes create muscle memory that protects against falls. According to the CDC, “Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group”. Improved strength with enhanced balance significantly increases the yoga benefits to seniors and baby boomers.
Yoga Strength and Balance Benefits For Seniors and Baby Boomers – Backed By Science!
Balance relies on equilibrium receptors, or hair cells, located in the inner ear. There are two types of receptors – dynamic and static. Dynamic receptors sense movement in the body. Static receptors provide the brain with information about body position and gravity. For this reason, stabilizing poses combined with fluidity increase yoga benefits for seniors and baby boomers by enhancing balance.
A slow-flow yoga class is an excellent way to increase balance. As expected, a slow-flow class moves slower than a traditional flow class. Practitioners can expect to hold the pose longer; however, the transitions from one pose to the next are more fluid than a standard yoga class. The movement is paired with the breath and requires balance, strength, and concentration.
Yoga is a dance of effort and ease. This combination of strength and balance provides additional support against injury in everyday life. As we age, lifting 100 lbs. isn’t nearly as important as safely exiting the bathtub.
Increased Flexibility
Often, people equate yoga with pretzel twisting bodies and trick yoga poses. As we age, the importance of flexibility is no longer about these showy movements. Instead, reaching for a book in the back of our car or grabbing a bowl on the top shelf are reasons for maintaining flexible postures. Yoga poses that help with flexibility includes twists, forward folds, and any seated position.
Seated yoga, or chair yoga, is another option we haven’t yet discussed. Chair yoga is perfect for those with limited mobility who want to achieve the benefits offered by yoga for seniors and baby boomers. The chair works as a prop. The yogi can decide if they want to use it some, part, or all of the time during their practice. Our article about yoga props and at-home yoga prop alternatives explains how many props serve to bring the floor closer to the practitioner. The chair can also offer support and balance.
Additional benefits of yoga for seniors and baby boomers include reduced pain from arthritis and joint pain and better sleep quality.
Reduced Pain
Most of the joints in our body connect two individual bones and allow for mobility. Synovial fluid is part of an intricate system located at these connection points and ensures that the bones can move freely without grinding. This fluid is clear and slippery and helps to keep our joints moving smoothly. Movement helps to circulate synovial fluid, which keeps the joints happy and healthy. When there is too much synovial fluid, symptoms include inflammation, swelling, and heat. Striking the right balance between movement and strain is essential when seeking the benefits of yoga to reduce pain from arthritis.
If you ever feel pain in the joints during your practice, finding a yoga pose modification is crucial. It is also essential to let the instructor know if you have any injuries, arthritis, or pain before class begins. Doing this will ensure they queue the poses appropriately for your needs.
Improved Sleep Quality
Our sleep cycles tend to change as we age. While the total hours of sleep we get isn’t different than when we are younger, the time spent in the dream state decreases with age. According to MedLine.gov, “older people wake up an average of 3 to 4 times per night”. Sleep quality is declared “lighter,” and most people are more aware of the disturbances than in their younger years.
Movement and exercise have benefits on sleep. According to Johns Hopkins, aerobic activities and power yoga should be practiced earlier in the day as these types of exercises release endorphins and increase body temperature. Endorphins and a raised internal body temperature can make getting to sleep more difficult. Practiced a few hours before bedtime or earlier can improve deep sleep.
Practicing restorative yoga poses, Yoga Nidra, and breathing exercises are excellent ways to prepare the body for rest. Simple poses like corpse pose or legs up the wall are great options if you wake up and have difficulty going back to sleep. If your mind is racing, practicing yoga breathing exercises for anxiety is an option.
In addition to physical enhancements, yoga also offers benefits for seniors and baby boomers by increasing mental clarity and the emotional benefits of social connections.
Sharp Mind
Yoga truly is an exercise of spirit, body, and mind. In a 2014 study, researchers found that yoga and meditation positively impacted fluid intelligence and brain function in aging practitioners. Abstract thinking and problem solving were two areas where practitioners, ages 40 – 70, scored better than their peers in the control group.
Yoga requires attention and focus. Listening to queues from the instructor forces memory recall. According to CNBC, a 2019 study from Brain Plasticity found that doing yoga once or twice per week can positively impact brain performance. Other studies have shown that positive emotional regulation, a documented side effect of yoga, contributes to better brain health.
While the jury is still out on causation or correlation, it is clear that a sharper mind is a yoga benefit for seniors and baby boomers.
Social Connections
Relationships and connections with others are essential to healthy aging. Studies have shown that older people who have close ties and relationships live longer, cope better with health issues, and experience less depression. Yoga brings people together with a shared interest and fosters community.
In my experience, yoga classes are often full of kindred spirits who are open-minded and eager to connect with others. If attending a yoga class with strangers feels intimidating, bring a friend or family member with whom you would typically grab coffee or lunch. Participating in a new form of exercise can increase bonding while taking the edge off of an assumed awkward encounter.
If there is no one to buddy up with, plan to arrive 15 minutes early to class. Use that time to introduce yourself to the instructor. By the time others come, you will have someone you already know by your side in the class. Another option is to use an online meet-up service in your community and look for others looking for yoga benefits for seniors and baby boomers.
Finding the Best Yoga Class Types That Benefits Seniors and Baby Boomers:
The benefits of yoga for the aging population are clear, and plenty of research supports these claims. When looking for a class that meets your specific needs, here is some general guidance on class types.
Beginner’s Yoga Class:
- Introduction to common poses
- May include history and background about yoga
- The instructor will focus on and ensure proper alignment to reduce the risk of injury
- Perfect for any age or practice level
Gentle Yoga Class:
- Softer style of hatha yoga
- Positions are held for short periods
- Poses aren’t as intense
- Perfect for any age or practice level
Moderate Yoga Class:
- Simple movements that warm up the body and muscles
- Moderately paced
- Focused on strength, alignment, flexibility, and balance
- Suitable for any age or practice level
Slow Flow:
- Combined movements paired with breath
- Some heat building and strengthening
- Attention to mindfulness
- Appropriate for any age and practice level
Restorative:
- Slow, restful poses designed to hold and relax
- Requires concentration and calming of the mind
- It may be practiced on the floor
- Appropriate for any age and practice level, so long as there are no mobility concerns
Movement and Meditation:
- Slow, organized, and mindful movements
- Typically includes 10 – 15 minutes of meditation
- Appropriate for any age and practice level
Chair Yoga:
- Gentle yoga that done sitting on a chair
- Alternatively, the chair is used for support
- Appropriate for any age and practice level
Of course, each studio and instructor is unique, so you may be interested in our advice around finding a yoga studio that meets your needs.
Finding the Best Yoga Poses That Benefits Seniors and Baby Boomers:
Yoga Poses that Build Strength and Balance:
- Bird Dog activates the core and glutes – stretching the arm and leg require balance and concentration.
- Plank can be done on the knees or in a full push-up position – strengthens the core, arms, and shoulders.
- Boat Pose requires attention and a strong stomach for stabilization.
- Warrior One and Warrior Two ignite the feet, quads, and glutes – tightening of the abs also helps to support balance.
- Tree Pose is an advanced pose that requires focus combined with a strong base.
Yoga Postures that Increase Flexibility:
- Seated twists keep the waist and lower back loose.
- Seated or standing forward folds elongate the spine and stretch the back body.
- Bound angle releases tension from the hips and glutes.
- Wide-legged forward folds relax the lower back and hamstrings.
- Gentle backbends with props relieve tightness and pain felt in the spine.
Poses for Quality Sleep:
- Legs up the wall will increase circulation and help with leg swelling. It also relieves tension in the lower back.
- Corpse pose, or savasana, relaxes the entire body. This pose is known to improve concentration and stimulate blood flow.
- Reclined twist over bolster releases lower back pressure and opens the upper back—this position is achieved by positioning a bolster, lengthwise, behind your bottom while in a seated position. Allow the knees to drop, inhale while raising the crown of the head towards the ceiling, and twist the upper body on the exhale, draping over the bolster.
- Breathing with one hand on the belly and one hand over the heart while sitting or laying down
Postures that are Good for the Brain:
- Eagle pose requires the crisscross motion of the arms and legs in the opposite direction at the same time. A lot is going on in eagle pose at one time.
- Reverse prayer pose requires focus and concentration. Along with cow face below, this position is movements in direct opposition to our standard body placement. These postures require brainpower and an open mind even to attempt.
- Cow face with a yoga strap or towel
- Inversions require our heads to be below our hearts. This feeling rushes blood flow to our head, reported to help balance hormones and release neurotransmitters. Inversion poses include extended puppy pose, downward dog, or dolphin. Inversions are discouraged for anyone with known or suspected blood pressure or heart issues.
Proven Benefits of Yoga for Seniors and Baby Boomers – It’s Not Too Late! Try Yoga Today!
One can start a yoga practice at any age. Yoga benefits the mind, body, and emotional wellness – especially for seniors and baby boomers. Numerous studies have shown that a regular yoga practice can strengthen muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons, keep vital synovial fluid flowing, and protect an aging population.
Yoga helps ensure our body with everyday movements that require flexibility, strength, and balance. Walking, cleaning, driving, reaching, and bending are all activities that we may take for granted. As we age, keeping our bodies flexible and strong through a weekly yoga practice will also positively impact our mind, emotional well-being, sleep quality and bridge social connections.
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
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