Yoga Is A Good Senior Exercise To Begin When You've Been Sedentary For A Long Time

If you're looking for an exercise program that you can do safely after being mostly sedentary for a long time, you should consider yoga. Yoga is an ideal exercise for all ages, especially seniors. It incorporates gentle movements that you can learn at your own pace. Here are some benefits of taking yoga classes when you are in your senior years.

Yoga Can Help Your Balance

One problem seniors often develop is a loss of balance that increases the risk of falling. The poses involved in yoga build muscles that help you stabilize your body. As you get better at holding the yoga poses without losing your balance, the benefits will transfer to your everyday life so you're safer when walking. And if you do trip, you'll have a better chance of recovering rather than falling.

Yoga Improves Flexibility

Yoga is a combination of muscle-building exercises, stretching, and range of motion movements. When you practice yoga regularly, you may develop improved range of motion in your joints and your muscles will become more flexible. While you start with slow, gentle poses, you gradually work up to positions that bend, twist, and move your body in safe ways that don't stress your joints. These movements also strengthen your muscles so they can provide better support and give your joints more stability.

Yoga Has Health Benefits

Most types of exercise are healthy for you, but if you've been sedentary for years at an office job, then you may not have the stamina or muscle strength to do boot camp exercises or lift weights. Yoga is easy for everyone. Although it is an easy and enjoyable form of exercise, it also provides many health benefits. Certain types of yoga can be like meditation that relieves stress and anxiety. Some yoga poses are good weight-bearing exercises that can help you build strong bones, which could be an added benefit if you have osteoporosis. Regular exercise has benefits for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Staying active in a way that you enjoy can help you stay healthy when you reach your senior years.

Yoga is also a good way to socialize so you can stay active. You can take a class for seniors so you do poses with others of your age and interests. You might also want to do other forms of exercise, such as swimming and aerobics, but starting out with yoga is a good choice. Yoga will never get boring: there are several types of yoga you can try, and as your skills advance you can do harder poses so you're always challenged to improve.