Yoga Trainer

The answer to the above question, in most cases, would be an affirmative one. Yoga is a system of workouts which is highly adaptable and can cater to the needs of people with different levels of muscle flexibility and strength. Senior citizens can begin with beginner level poses to initiate themselves into a workout schedule and build upon them as their body gets used to it.

What would be the benefits of Yoga for seniors?

For seniors the benefits of performing yoga would be much the same as those in case of teenagers and adults. Yoga poses would help them improve their balance, bust stress, treat mild depression, increase the density of their muscles, improve their rate of metabolism, have a regular breathing pattern and treat various disorders of the body. Further, the effects of bone and muscles wear and tear which their body suffered in the last thirty or forty decades would be overcome with the help of different yoga poses.

Yoga is a mix of different types of poses. Not all of them are prescribed for seniors (for example Bikram yoga , or Power yoga as it is also called, is not prescribed for senior citizens). Since most of them would be only beginning with a workout regime, poses from Hatha yoga series can be recommended. This would help them overcome stiffness and loss of muscle tone.

An ideal yoga sequence for old age people is given below:

Kapalabhati
Easy Pose (Sukhasana) 
Cat Pose (Bidalasana) 
Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Shvanasana)  
Double Leg Raise
Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) 
Locust Pose (Salabhasana)  
Wind Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana)
Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Other things to follow

The market these days is full of self-help books and videos that claim to teach yoga to you. However, in case of seniors such sort of help is strictly not advised. The reason for such an advice is that these are mass products which address a very huge section of the population. There is no personalisation involved in the yoga poses that are taught in them, something which is required in case of seniors. The risk of injury involved, then, is quite high.

To avoid getting injured seniors can opt for the services of a trained yoga teacher. They can also easily find numerous yoga training centres where classes for senior citizens are held. Joining them would not only help them work out but also bond with other senior citizens coming in to the class.

Precautions to be taken

It is better that senior citizens consult their doctor before joining a yoga class. The existence of certain conditions such as asthma, spinal problems, low or high blood pressure, glaucoma, and other such problems may put a restriction on the extent to which they would be able to perform yoga poses.