When you see your mother having difficulty in getting up from her chair or your dad gasping after climbing up the stairs, you feel helpless. Even with the best kind of facilities or care that you provide, you feel the process of aging catching up to your parents. But wait, there is something that you can do to see them age healthy and the way to do it by adapting yoga in life. Yoga which has been long part of the Indian culture can effectively slow and even reverse signs of ageing.
Why is Yoga beneficial for elderly?
- Yoga is a versatile type of exercise and milder than other forms of exercise so it is suitable for elderly.
- Yoga improves balance and strength of the muscles thus reducing the falls and slips in elderly.
- Yoga helps improve flexibility of the body thus helping elderly to move around independently.
- Breathing exercises in yoga improves circulation thus helping with hypertension.
- Relaxing poses help deal with stress in elderly and helps improve their overall mood.
What to remember before starting it?
- Before they start a yoga class, talk to their doctor about it. In most cases, doctors recommend yoga to elderly but in case, the doctor objects or give special rules please follow it.
- Remember to tell your Yoga instructor about any type of ailment that you suffer from or any surgery you have undergone so that your yoga instructor can modify the pose to suit you.
- The impression that yoga can only be done by very flexible people and has to be done sitting on the floor is false. Yoga is so versatile that many of exercises you can do when you are sitting on your bed or in your chair and you do only to the extent that you can.
- Yoga is not about competition, everybody has a different threshold of flexibility and endurance, only if you feel confident should you do it.
Some points to remember before starting:
- Do not push yourself while doing a pose. Yoga is all about doing it within your limits.
- Do not put too much stress on your body in the beginning, as you do the poses, you will be better in holding the positions.
- Stop if you feel pain, yoga is about quieting the body and soul, and you cannot do it in pain.
- You must not hold your breath in for any exercise, it is better to hold the breath out.
- Remember to perform this poses after some warm up like stretching your hands and legs and bending and reaching the toes and light spot jogging.
Mrs. Meena Joshi, a yoga instructor with degree from Kalidas University says that “Yoga is very effective against ailments such as- high B.P, rigidity, diabetes and acidity. But some precautions need to be taken like High BP patients should not do hectic, head-down postures, they should also be careful while performing kapalbhati and bhastrika. Similarly there are some postures that heart patients cannot do, thus it is advisable for those with ailments to consult a Yoga instructor before doing any posture. Those who are healthy can do these postures slowly and step by step.”
Yoga poses that are beneficial for the elderly:
Perform these poses in presence of a yoga instructor to avoid injuries. Remember to take it easy when you are starting off.
Easy Pose or Sukhasana
Sukhasana, a seemingly easy pose has many benefits. Sitting in Sukhasana opens the hips and lengthen the spine and promotes a calm state of mind and body.
How to do it:
- Sit with on the ground with your legs crossed and your feet below your knees.
- Rest your hands on the knees with the palms facing up.
- To stay erect, press your hips downwards and keep your head steady with the shoulders down and back.
- Relax the face, jaw and the belly and breathe deeply from your belly.
- If you have trouble sitting directly on the floor, sit on a blanket.
Standing Poses:
Ardhakati chakrasan (Half waist wheel pose): This pose can be performed even by those with minimum fitness levels and is good for clearing the lungs, improving flexibility, toning the waist.
How to do it:
- Stand erect with your back and neck straight and your arms at your sides.
- Inhale and lift your left hand above your head and keep it close to your face touching your left ear.
- Exhale and bend to your right side. Stay for few seconds and then bring your left hand down.
- Repeat for the right hand now.
Padhastasana (Hand to foot pose): A very simple exercise that stretches the spine, Padhastasana is good for toning the abdominal organs, improving their function, stretching the back muscles and improving circulation for the entire body.
How to do it:
- Stand with your hands at your sides, legs together and a back erect.
- Take a breath and raise your arms over your head.
- As you exhale bring them down and bend at your waist without bending your knees and try to touch your feet.
- You will not be able to touch your feet in the beginning but you can rest your hands on your thighs or knees till the extend you can reach.
Marajariasana or Cat Pose
Cat pose is very beneficial for elderly as it combines the breathing exercise with physical movements. Cat pose is also very good in reducing the stiffness of the spine and neck and helps improve digestion and getting rid of the stomach flab.
How to do it:
Start on being on your all fours. Now make sure that your arms are lying straight to the ground and your hips are aligned against the knees. Let your back be straight and look down at the floor; this is your neutral position.- Exhale and put pressure on your hands as you push your belly back to your back and lift your spine towards the ceiling and tuck your tailbone in.
Now, inhale and relax the belly and let reverse the movement of the spine by looking at the ceiling and let your chest move away from the waist and your shoulders down the back.- Repeat these movements coordinating it with your inhalation and exhalation. Do not over extend and overstretch your spine.
Corpse Pose or Shavasana
Shavasana is highly recommended for elderly since it is very easy to perform and relaxes the body completely. Shavasana is used as a transition between poses and helps to relax each and every part of the body. Shavasana helps the body to get rid of fatigue, stress and strain and give a soothing feeling. Shavasana is good for those with diabetes, headaches, menopause and indigestion. Performing Shavasana for 10 minutes after performing other yoga poses is essential.
How to do it:
- Lie down on the floor with your spine aligned with the floor.
Spread your legs apart and let your hands lie away from your body.- Keep your neck in any comfortable position and close your eyes.
- Now breathe in and out and relax each and every part by releasing the pressure and letting it loose. Start relaxing from the tip of the toe and end by relaxing the muscles on your face.
- After some time of relaxation, open your eyes and slowly bring your body back in a sitting position.
Breathing exercises for Elderly
Breathing the correct way that is inhaling and exhaling using the entire lung capacity ensures that you get the maximum oxygen. Even concentrating on your breathing and taking deep breaths few times in a day can reap great health benefits. Here are two most basic breathing exercises in Pranayam.
Anulomvilom- Anulomvilom involves breathing through alternate nostrils. It is said that human beings breathe through only one nostril alternating it every 2-3 hours. However due to some reasons there is an imbalance in the nasal breathing and we breathe only through one nostril leading to many problems. Anulomvilom helps bring back that balance.
How to do it:
- With your left thumb on your left nostrils breathe through the right nostrils.
- Now keep your index finger on the right nostril and exhale through the left.
- Now breathe in from the left nostril and exhale through the right.
- Repeat and continue for 2 minutes in the start and gradually increase the duration.
Kapalbhati- Kapalbhatti is also called as ‘cleaning breath’ because it aids removal of mucus in the nostrils and the lungs and helps breathe easily. Kapalbhati helps in sinusitis, blocked nose, lungs helps removal of waste products.
How to do it: Take a breath through your nose and now exhale quickly by taking in the stomach. Continue for 20 breaths. Remember to exhale gently in the start and not to put too much of pressure on the stomach.
These yoga poses are simple and easy requiring no extra fitness level, you can make your parents do some of them for 10 minutes and later incorporate more asanas that are more complex. Mrs. Meena Joshi says “The most important thing is consistency. You cannot do it once or twice a week and expect to get the results. Yogic practice should become part of your lifestyle.” Yoga increases flexibility, improves muscle mass, decreases stress and fights ailments, so encourage your parents to start doing these yoga poses and to ensure that they do, join them while they are at it!
