Say Yes to Yoga

Yoga is a wonderful activity to keep our muscles working and stretching but it also helps to relieve stress and calm our minds.

Research has shown that yoga can have positive outcomes across an amazing array of measures. Physically, yoga can improve our balance, our mobility and our cardiometabolic health. Psychological benefits can include improved cognition and sleep quality as well as reductions in depression and anxiety.

Say Yes to Yoga

Yoga for positive ageing

Generally, with age we begin to lose flexibility but yoga helps us to maintain the muscle strength we have and continue to add more. Osteoporosis can also occur in ageing but yoga can gradually increase bone density and improve balance.

Research has shown that lunge poses like Warrior, Warrior II and Side Angle Pose help build hip and leg strength and balancing poses like Crane, Tree and Warrior III help protect against falls that can cause fractures in brittle-bones.

However, we do have to be careful and gentle if we are already suffering from fragile bones: introducing yoga gradually can allow our bodies to adapt to certain stretches and twists.

Best of all, yoga is accessible! YouTube tutorials for beginners mean we can begin learning from the comfort of our own home, or we can make it a more social activity by going out to local classes.

Sources:

Effects of Yoga on well-being and healthy ageing (FitForAge), 29/5/19 BMJ Publishing Group https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6549603/

Youkhana S, Dean CM, Wolff M, et al. . Yoga-based exercise improves balance and mobility in people aged 60 and over: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age Ageing 2016;45:21–9. 10.1093/ageing/afv175

Oken BS, Zajdel D, Kishiyama S, et al. . Randomized, controlled, six-month trial of yoga in healthy seniors: effects on cognition and quality of life. Altern Ther Health Med 2006;12:40–

Barrows JL, Fleury J. Systematic review of yoga interventions to promote cardiovascular health in older adults. West J Nurs Res 2016;38:753–81. 10.1177/0193945915618610

15 Anti-ageing benefits of yoga From Lifelong Yoga by Sage Rountree and Alexandra Desiato. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/15-anti-aging-health-benefits-of-yoga