Chair Yoga for Seniors: Poses with Steps

As people age, they tend to experience balance problems and fall frequently. Getting stronger and staying in shape is also necessary to be able to carry out everyday tasks with ease. Walking, a light exercise, can help older people. Chair yoga for seniors can also be beneficial. It can help increase joint mobility and flexibility, improve posture, and more. All they have to do is sit on a chair or use it to support their body. You can stretch, twist and bend with the help of furniture. The good news is that this type of yoga can also be practiced by people with knee problems.

What is chair yoga?

It is a form of yoga that can be done sitting or standing. The chair is used as an assistive device during yoga practice, allowing people, especially the elderly who are afraid of falling and have balance problems, to practice safely. “Seniors with balance, knee, hip or back problems who cannot do standing exercises can do senior chair yoga,” says a fitness trainer Dr. Mickey Mehta.

This can be done anywhere and anytime, but make sure the chair does not have wheels and is stable. You can use a wooden chair or a metal folding chair, preferably without a back.

What are the benefits of chair yoga for seniors?

Chair yoga for seniors is especially beneficial for people with lower body issues. During the analysis published in International Journal of Scientific Research in 2023, chair yoga was found to be more effective for older people with lower extremity problems. Another study published in Health care journal in 2023 showed that it helped improve fitness and daily activity scores in older women with osteoarthritis of the knee, a degenerative joint disease.

Here are some of the benefits of chair yoga for seniors:

• Increased mobility and flexibility of joints: “Chair yoga for the elderly helps improve flexibilityespecially in the spine, shoulders and hips,” says the expert.
• Strengthening muscles: thanks to the use of postures and movements adapted to the chair, the muscles of the lower, upper and heart regions are worked out. During a 2019 study published in Topics of geriatric rehabilitation magazine, researchers found that participants who practiced chair yoga saw improvements in upper and lower limb muscle strength, agility and balance.
• Better posture: by helping to align the spine and strengthen the back muscles, it helps better posture.
• Improvement of blood circulation: “Gentle movement improves circulation and circulation, especially for people who may sit for long periods of time,” says Dr. Mehta.
• Fat reduction: yoga helps reduce fat deposits by increasing blood flow to muscles and fat cells. “It releases fat for energy and therefore helps you lose weight,” says the expert.

Chair Yoga for Seniors: 10 Poses You Can Try

1. Tadasana on a chair or off a mountain

• Sit up straight in a chair to perform the seated version Beyond the mountains.
• Interlock your fingers, inhale and stretch your arms up with your palms facing the ceiling.
• Exhale and gradually lower your hands.

2. Vakrasana on a chair or without turning the spine

• Sit straight on the chair.
• Inhale and turn the body to the right side, holding the back of the chair with both hands.
• Exhale, then do it on the left side.

3. Garudasana chair or eagle pose

• To do chair yoga for the elderly, sit on the furniture, inhale, cross your right arm over your left elbow and try to touch both palms.
• Exhale, cross the right thigh over the left and try to turn the right leg near the calf of the left.
• Then do it on the other side.

4. Uttanasana on a chair or forward bend

• Sit down, inhale and lean forward through your legs.
• Relax your arms and touch the floor if you can.

5. Chair Utthita Parsvakonasana or Extended Side Angle Pose

• Sit on a chair, inhale and bend forward through your legs.
• Release your hands and touch the ground.
• Take your right hand next to your left leg.

6. Chair Pawanmuktasana or Wind Relief Pose

• Sit down, inhale, lift your right leg up to your chest and try to touch your forehead to your knee.
• Exhale, do it with the left leg.

7. Bhujangasana chair or Cobra pose

• Stand behind a chair, holding onto its back. Inhale and reach up to perform Outside the cobra.
• Exhale, stand up straight and relax your body.

8. Virabhadrasana chair or warrior pose

• Keep your right leg bent at a 90-degree angle to the side of the chair. Your left leg should be straight and extended behind you.
• Inhale and raise your arm at shoulder level.
• Raise both hands up and squeeze them together.

9. Upavistha Ardha Utkatasana or Seated Figure Four

• Sit straight, press your feet to the floor.
• Place your right ankle on your left knee, creating a “four” shape with your legs.
• Gently press into the right knee to deepen the stretch.
• Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.

10. Chair Urdhva Hastasana or Raised Hands Pose

• To do chair yoga for seniors, sit down, inhale, and raise your arms.
• Relax your shoulders and maintain a proper upper body position.

Chair yoga for the elderly can be practiced by the elderly, and even beginners. But if the body hurts when performing any of the poses, it is better to take a break and consult a doctor.