Poses for Seated Yoga for the Elderly

Yoga stimulates the fountain of youth as it can improve suppleness and strength at any age. As the American population gets older, yoga styles that accommodate physical limitations and helps practitioners to overcome them are attracting new devotees. Old-timers credit their improved balance and flexibility to their time spent on the mat. For those who are frail or disabled, there's chair yoga to keep the prana flowing.

  1. Elder Energy

    • The ancient Indian practice of yoga lengthens the spine, opens the chest and flexes the hip joints, even when practiced while seated. Yoga stretches help to articulate the intercostal muscles between the ribs to improve lung capacity. Arm and shoulder moves preserve, and may increase, range of movement. Though the seated Mountain pose incorporates a chair, the pose still encourages balance, leg strength and hip, knee and shoulder flexibility. Sit comfortably in a chair while barefoot and think of your elongated spine with your head reaching for the sky. Bend your elbows and form fists and then claws. Next, spread your fingers wide and reverse the hand moves back to fists. Repeat the sequence five times. Ground your heels into the floor and flex the feet, curling the toes tightly, and then stretch them wide. Repeat foot crunches five times.

    Sit and Stretch

    • Put your bottom in a chair to reap a boatload of benefits from a yoga practice that doesn't require you to dance around the room. Idea Health & Fitness Association notes a long list of advantages for those who practice regularly, including lowered blood pressure and improved range of motion, flexibility, balance, strength, depth perception, body awareness and immune function. Posture improves as does mood, because aches and pains fade and level of fitness gets a boost. Even chair-bound yogis can relieve arthritis, hypertension and osteoporosis with simple poses such as Shoulder Rolls. Sit up straight, inhale and hunch shoulders to the ears. Squeeze shoulder blades together to open the chest, activate the heart center, and get a good stretch across the upper torso and shoulders. Five repetitions eases neck and back tension and boosts circulation.

    Better Breathing

    • Pranayama, which is yoga breathing, is a snap to do in a chair. Pranayama will calm an anxious mind, boost energy, reduce anger, sharpen focus, and deepen and slow respiration. Cooling Breath involves sitting with relaxed shoulders, an erect spine and a lowered chin. Curl your tongue to make a long straw, stick it out and suck in air while you slowly tilt your face to the ceiling. When you finish inhaling, pull in your tongue, close your mouth and gently exhale through your nose as you lower your chin. Repeat for seven to twelve repetitions. Open your rib cage, chest, shoulders and spine with a Side Stretch. Sit up tall and raise one arm to the ceiling. Feel the stretch through the fingertips, inhale, and arch to the opposite side as you exhale. Keep shoulder blades flat to open the back and lift the rib cage on every inhalation for three to five deep breaths. Alternate sides.

    Chair Mobility

    • Chair yoga will launch you to a higher fitness level. Sit on a stable chair and look ahead. A simple Forward Bend gives your spine a stretch and relieves upper body tension. Just sit tall with your feet flat on the floor, bend at the hips and allow your head and arms to drop over your knees. Relax like a rag doll and then come up slowly as you continue to take steady breaths. Pick up the pace with Leg Lifts. Grasp the seat of the chair, sit up straight and lift one leg at a time, flexing your foot. Inhale as you bring your leg up, hold for a brief pause and exhale as you slowly lower the leg and switch sides. These moves will help you improve your balance and strengthen your legs.