3/20/2023 0 Comments Chair yoga for seniorsSlowly raise your arms up to the ceiling and hold for two breaths. With the left leg, outstretch it on the other side of the chair, and anchor the foot perpendicularly. Now, swivel to the right so that your bottom is still on the chair and your right foot is planted (with knee at a right angle) on one side of the chair. Straddle the chair so that you are facing the back of the chair. Inhale and exhale for three breaths before switching sides and doing the same thing. Keep your feet and legs in their original position as much as possible so that only your spine gently twists. Chair Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)īegin this pose seated sideways on your chair, then slowly turn toward whatever side of you is near the back of the chair, until you are able to grasp the back of the chair. Hold for three full breaths, then repeat once on the other side. Drop your shoulders and keep your arms at a right angle in front of you (forearms pointed up in front of your face). In front of you, at the elbow, cross your right arm over your left arm. Start by wrapping/crossing your left thigh over your right thigh, bringing your left foot around the right ankle if possible. To add to the stretch, slightly bend forward and hold. Chair Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)īring your left ankle up to your right thigh and rest it there to stretch the thigh muscles. Hold for a few moments, then switch to the other side. In the last downward position of Chair Forward Bend, move your right hand toward the outside of your left foot and twist your body toward the left, bringing your left arm up toward the sky. Chair Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana) Repeat and move with the breath for five complete breaths. Inhale again and slowly raise yourself up. Inhale slowly, and as you exhale, bend forward over the chair and try to put your hands on the floor if they’ll reach. At the same time, continue reaching with your fingertips. When they are straight up and down, anchor your seat in the chair and let your shoulder blades relax and slide down your back. Sit up straight, and inhale while raising your outstretched arms and hands slowly over your head. Chair Raised Hands Pose (Urdhva Hastasana) Now, exhale as you circle your shoulders forward, dropping your chin and head forward. With palms on your thighs or knees, inhale while circling/rolling your shoulders back and down. All poses start from the seated position. Chair Yoga for Seniors Popular Posesīelow are 10 chair yoga poses to get you started with this practice. If your feet don’t reach the floor, put a folded towel, yoga mat, or yoga block beneath your feet. When you find a chair, you should be able to sit up in the chair with your feet fat on the floor in front of you. Still, avoid chairs with wheels, rocking chairs, and large cushioned chairs that won’t allow you to easily sit up straight. You don’t need a special chair to begin practicing chair yoga. If you spend much of your day in a chair for work or school, you can also benefit from chair yoga poses performed intermittently throughout the day. In addition to senior citizens, others who will particularly benefit from this practice include those with physical disabilities, those who are recovering from an injury, overweight or obese individuals, and those with neurological challenges. Anyone who is able to sit in a chair can participate in chair yoga, and nearly all traditional poses can be modified and replicated for the seated position. Traditional yoga (performed in varied standing, seated, or supine positions) can provide numerous benefits to individuals of all ages including seniors, yet not all seniors are able to maneuver into and sustain classic yoga poses.Ĭhair yoga offers the same benefits as traditional yoga, but poses and movements are adapted for easy completion from a chair. Like traditional yoga, however, chair yoga provides many benefits to practitioners, including improved strength and flexibility, reduced stress and better mental clarity, pain management, and enhanced concentration, among others. It is meant to be performed from a chair and is intended for seniors and other individuals who may be unable to sit on a floor mat or twist and bend in the way traditional yoga poses demand. Chair yoga for seniors is a variation of traditional yoga.
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