September is a time to pause and breathe in honor of National Yoga Month. This month-long celebration is dedicated to raising awareness of yoga and the many benefits it offers.
National Yoga Month is particularly significant for senior wellness. It offers both physical and mental health benefits. Regardless of whether you regularly practice or if today is your first day, it can create lasting effects on your health. Senior yoga has been shown to have a connection to healthy aging, as it improves balance and strength, reduces stress, and enhances cellular health.
At Meadow Lakes, we make senior wellness a top priority through offering diverse senior yoga opportunities. Our community has countless ways to stay active through our wellness program, on-campus activities, and nearby attractions. National Yoga Month is the perfect opportunity to explore the many advantages of yoga for older adults.
7 Benefits of Senior Yoga
Yoga provides so many health benefits. It enhances strength, balance, and flexibility, promoting overall mind-body wellness for seniors and ultimately reducing their risk of falls. Here are a few of the benefits of yoga for older adults, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine:
- 1. Improves Balance and Flexibility
- The physical effects of aging can cause changes in balance and flexibility. Deep breathing and slow movements increase blood flow to the brain, causing muscles to warm up.
- 2. Supports Heart Health
- Heart disease and other heart-related conditions are higher among seniors. Regularly practicing yoga can help reduce body-wide inflammation, stress, and other factors that can lead to heart disease.
- 3. Boosts Mood and Energy
- While seniors are often faced with decreased mood and energy, yoga can help increase mental and physical energy. It also results in fewer negative thoughts due to its calming practice.
- 4. Helps Manage Stress
- Yoga helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, improves breathing, and releases muscle tension, all of which contribute to managing and reducing stress in the body.
- 5. Encourages Better Sleep
- Because yoga allows the body to relax through deep stretching and breathing exercises, it promotes a deeper sleep.
- 6. Relieves Back Pain and Eases Arthritis
- Back pain and arthritis are common among older adults. Gentle yoga can ease pain and discomfort while improving mobility.
- 7. Promotes Senior Independence
- By improving balance and flexibility through yoga, seniors can feel more confident in leading independent lives. Yoga can also help reduce the risk of falls and increase mobility.
How Yoga Fosters Community
Whether it’s your first time or you practice yoga regularly, joining or participating in a yoga class is a great way to meet new people and create a sense of community. Older adults can build friendships through yoga, as it provides a shared experience. Attending classes allows seniors to connect with others who share similar interests.
Senior yoga classes are specially designed and adapted for older adults, creating an inclusive environment where participants can support and encourage each other in learning new poses and movements. The social accountability of a group setting often encourages attendees to attend consistently. These structured classes make regular engagement easy, and practicing gentle movements and breathing exercises together fosters a positive, uplifting atmosphere.
Embracing Yoga for Lifelong Health
National Yoga Month is a reminder of yoga’s many health benefits. Through our LivWell program, we take a holistic approach to senior wellness, offering yoga and tai chi classes, guided meditation, and more.
Yoga can have a lasting impact on older adults, supporting balance, flexibility, relaxation, and overall energy, helping residents age healthier and with confidence. We encourage residents to explore yoga in a way that’s accessible and enjoyable for them.
Interested in learning more about Meadow Lakes and our wellness program? Contact us to learn more or schedule a tour to visit our campus.
