Yoga for Healthy Aging: Basic Facts which will keep you Healthy and Active in Your Senior Years

TribecaCare
17th Mar 2025

An Overview of How Yoga Benefits Older People

Staying mobile and active when ageing offers numerous health benefits. However, joint pains and aching limbs are often real deterrents for seniors who want to pursue some form of exercise but find that they cannot take the strain.

Yoga is a great choice to consider if you are a senior and wish to do a simpler form of exercise than going for a run or visiting a gym. But do remember that Yoga should be taught by a trained practitioner in the beginning, so that you do not injure yourself.

Some Basic Facts on Yoga for Seniors (Courtesy: The Art of Living)

“The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to unite’. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Yoga is a study of life, study of your body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, and ego. Study of your inner faculties.”

It is possible for people of all ages and all walks of life to benefit from the various techniques that yoga offers.

What kind of asanas should the elderly do?

There is a range of standing, sitting, lying down and chair yoga asanas for you to choose from. For example:

Standing yoga asanas

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

Benefits

Hip problems are routine among seniors. Trikonasana helps strengthen and stretch the hip region.
It helps regulate blood pressure, a common complaint amongst the elderly.

Katichakrasana (Standing spinal twist)

Benefits

Helps to keep the spine straight, preventing slouching.
Helps strengthen the arm and leg muscles, ensuring that seniors are firm on their feet”.

https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-sequences-for/yoga-for-senior-citizen

How does Yoga for Seniors differ from General Yoga?

“The yoga asanas suggested for an elderly person may be the same as those for a younger individual. The difference lies in the effort and time spent in a posture, and the flexibility involved. However, if you have high endurance levels, you will be able to perform the cardiovascular movements and abdominal exercises to satisfaction.

Do yoga asanas boost immunity in the elderly?

Here again, the Patanjali Yoga Sutras provide a clue. “Heyam Dukham Anaagatam.” It means, ‘Avoid the misery that has not yet come.’ As we grow older, the efficiency of the immune system deteriorates, paving the way for various diseases. Regular practice of yoga techniques such as asanas, pranayama and meditation can help avoid these conditions. So make your life happier and more fulfilling with yoga.

Am I getting my yoga practice right?

You are the best judge of this. Check your inner gauge which is your smile-o-meter. Just do as much as you can, with a smile. That is the best indicator of whether you are doing it right or not.

What are the different benefits of yoga for seniors?

Yoga helps keep the joints steady and flexible.
Helps maintain healthy bones and muscles.
Improves digestion and clears bowel movements.
Regulates blood pressure.

Perhaps, one of the best things about yoga for seniors is the chance to mingle and bond with others. This priceless addition keeps the mind engaged and happy, alleviating depression and loneliness. Enjoy your yoga at any age. Just keep some guidelines in mind.

What precautions should seniors take?

Substitute warm ups with brisk walking and joint movements.
Practice yoga under a trained yoga teacher and discuss your ailments with him/her.
Focus on repeating poses rather than holding any posture.
Rest adequately after each pose.
Make sure that your body has adjusted to your daily yoga routine before trying out new asanas.”

https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-sequences-for/yoga-for-senior-citizen

Yoga Offers Physical and Mental Health Benefits (Courtesy: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine)

“Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. And, if you’re going through an illness, recovering from surgery or living with a chronic condition, yoga can become an integral part of your treatment and potentially hasten healing.

A yoga therapist can work with patients and put together individualized plans that work together with their medical and surgical therapies. That way, yoga can support the healing process and help the person experience symptoms with more centeredness and less distress.

Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility.

Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength.

Try it: Tree Pose

Balance on one foot, while holding the other foot to your calf or above the knee (but never on the knee) at a right angle. Try to focus on one spot in front of you, while you balance for one minute.

Yoga helps with back pain relief.

Yoga is good for basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain. The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.

Try it: Cat-Cow Pose

Get on all fours, placing your palms underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. First, inhale, as you let your stomach drop down toward the floor. Then, exhale, as you draw your navel toward your spine, arching your spine like a cat stretching.”

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga

Yoga for high blood pressure

“Yoga asanas involve breathing consciously and deeply while synchronizing your body movements. They can help control blood pressure naturally, primarily by relieving stress.
Yoga asanas can soothe the nerves and help slow down an abnormal heart rate.
Yoga helps in increasing immunity and reducing incidences of heart problems like heart attacks and strokes.
Lack of sufficient rest is the primary reason for stress and hypertension. Yoga helps regularize sleep habits and patterns.
Obesity can also lead to hypertension. Regular practice of yoga and an improved diet regulates body weight.
Yoga gives positive energy to the body and mind. It makes you happier and more hopeful in life. In the long run, this helps to regulate blood pressure levels”.

https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-sequences-for/yoga-for-high-blood-pressure