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Yoga for Senior Citizens
By Nora Quiason
As people age, the ravages of time, gravity, and body fatigue become more obvious. Otherwise healthy senior citizens feel the aches and pains of everyday activities, cognitive decline, bone loss and other consequences of just having lived longer whether or not they have overused or abused their body. Yoga provides a way to re-energize aging cells and prevent further body decline. I began yoga asana practice a few years after 60 when my knees began to give way and my bone density increasingly grew sparse. Fearing spontaneous fracture, I enrolled in yoga classes to strengthen my muscles. The benefits I got exceeded my expectations. Although yoga practiced in the West centers mainly on asana or posture exercises, this by itself is already beneficial. Yoga emphasizes breath control so that for the 60-90 minutes of asana practice, body cells are oxygenated fully, giving an invigorating feeling. Different yoga poses lengthen muscle making them stronger and more flexible. For persons with osteoporosis such as myself, weight bearing yoga poses have the added advantage of building bone tissue. Though seemingly simple, yoga poses are also aerobic and one can generate considerable heat especially with vigorous yoga such as Bikram and ashtanga. And yes, although it may take longer hours of practice, older adults can and do master difficult poses like balancing in tree or shoulder and head stands much like a twenty year old can. The secret is practice, practice, practice. A greater outcome of yoga practice is in the practice of the other limbs of yoga such as pranayama (breath control,) yamas (abstentions or don'ts) and niyamas (observances or do's) which are practices of virtue and self accountability. Yoga becomes part of the journey. For older adults coming to the twilight of their lives, yoga is a specially good way to take stock of what has been and prepare for what is to come with equanimity.
Nora Quiason is a physician and an online book seller. She also writes articles on senior living, book reviews,health care and earth consciousness.
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Thank you for sharing, Nora.
I have been exercising, but I think it would be a good idea to take a closer look at yoga.
Best to you.
Frederick
When I hit 60 I will take up yoga and freak out my grandkids by balancing on my head.
 |  | nick Jan 16, 2010 11:59 | |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Yes Nick, it can happen.
The copyright for this content entitled "Yoga for Senior Citizens" has been specified by the contributor as:
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This content may be copied and distributed (but not modified), as long as the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://nora8197.qondio.com/
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