YOGA For SENIORS

In the community I moved here from, there were a number of yoga classes offered exclusively for seniors. This is because the seniors have a much better sense of humor and more tolerance than the younger folks. The seniors were always joking and willing to try anything once, so it became necessary to separate them and make a seniors class where they could “let loose”. Humor is necessary for life and for yoga too. So is a minimum amount of strength, required in order to maintain our independence, and yoga offers this to us as well. This is another reason for a seniors yoga class and its popularity.

As we age loss of muscle mass and strength is a common occurrence, partially due to hormonal changes and largely to do with disuse. Muscles need to be used to stay strong and the first to go are the major muscles of ambulation. The quadriceps on the front of the thighs – which lift your thighs for walking and stairs, and the triceps on the back upper arms – needed to push yourself up from sitting or lying. Weak back muscles and short chest muscles lead to poor posture and not just for seniors either, look around.

This modified yoga sequence will build strength, improve posture and make everything else more fun because of it. Yoga is most beneficial when studied in earnest with an experienced teacher and it is wise to consult a trusted health care provider before beginning any new exercise program.

You will need to be barefoot and on a non- slip surface. Younger folks can benefit from this asana (pose) sequence too. Here we go.

Adhomukhasvanasana: (with chair)
Also called downward facing dog, stabilize a dining chair with its back against a wall. Bend forward and take your hands onto the chair seat and grip the seat sides. Now walk your feet back about three feet and hip width apart, keeping your arms straight, exhale and take your head down. Buttocks lift upwards towards the ceiling. Press your thighbones back, extend your heels into the floor and lengthen your spine. Continue to straighten the elbows by pressing your outer arm muscles into the bones. Hold up to one minute. To come out, walk your feet in towards the chair, inhale as you bend your knees and lift the trunk. This asana strengthens triceps and quadriceps as well as provides a wonderful stretch to the spine and back of the legs.

Urdhvamukhasvanasana: (with chair)
Also called upward facing dog, this asana is done while still in Adhomukhasvanasana - Feet are about three feet from the chair and thighs are pressing back, arms straight and head down. Now, on an inhalation come onto the balls of your feet. Keep your arms straight and take your hips forward towards the chair. Lift your head upwards to look forward. Lift the chest and roll your shoulders back. Keep pressing the outer arms in to keep them straight. Even though the hips come forward the thighbones keep pressing back to keep the legs straight. Now exhale and lift your buttocks towards the ceiling. Take your heels back down to the floor and your head downwards again, coming back into the first asana. Repeat the sequence two, three or five more times without holding for very long. Finish by coming into the first asana, Adhomukhasvanasana, and walking your feet in. It is very important in this sequence to keep the arms and legs straight. Benefits are stronger arms and legs, freer movement of your shoulder and hip joints, stronger back muscles and better posture.

Utkatasana:
Fierce pose. Stand with your back against a wall and have your feet hip width apart and 1 ½ feet or more distance from the wall. Feet are pointing straight forward. Bend your knees, sliding your back down the wall until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Press your back and your back against the wall for support. Lift your chest bone and roll your shoulders back and down. Now lift your arms, palms facing each other, elbows straight, and take them over head. If possible, bringing your thumbs to the wall. Keep reaching upwards and pressing the outer arms in to straighten your elbows. Continue to breath easy. Now bring your arms down and straighten your legs to come up. You can stay in this asana for 30 seconds and repeat three times. You can increase the difficulty by raising the arms first and then bending the knees. This asana will strengthen your quadriceps and triceps and improve posture.

Caution: If you have high blood pressure, do not raise your arms.

Uttanasana: (with chair)
Standing forward bend. Place a blanket on a chair and stand in front with the seat facing you. Have your feet hip width apart, feet pointing forward and your hands on your hips. Exhale and hinge from your hips (not your waist) and take your hands to the chair seat. Now hinge forward even more and take the crown of your head down to rest on the chair seat. If your head does not reach the seat add more blankets or cushions until it does. Let your upper body, arms, head and neck rest. Now, activate your legs by lifting the front thigh muscles into the bone and press them back, straightening the knees. Buttocks lift upwards towards the ceiling. To come up, return your hands to your hips, bend your knees and inhale to come up. Hold for one to two minutes and do not repeat. This asana stretches the hamstrings on the back of the legs as well as the back and buttocks. It is also a cooling pose and quietens the mind.

This well rounded short sequence, if done daily, will strengthen and lengthen arms and legs as well as increase hip and shoulder mobility. It is helpful to have a buddy to exercise with but if no one is available then try and go through the sequence once with someone else before doing it on your own. Strength training studies with adults upwards of eighty have found significant gains in strength (over 100%) can be achieved in under eight weeks, so it won’t be long before your ready for more yoga.

In India a senior/advanced yoga teacher must be at least fifty to qualify for this prestigious title, something to think about…

© May 2004 Leigh Milne

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