So, your body is telling you bungie jumping and professional sports are off the table. It’s the natural order of things. But even if the passage of time has imposed new parameters on your physical activity, there is good news: Where there’s a chair there’s a way!

By connecting the mind, body, and spirit, yoga can be extremely beneficial towards bettering your mental and physical health!

Effective and accessible for seniors at all fitness levels, chair yoga is taking center stage as a safe, fun, gentle yoga for seniors. Similar to traditional yoga in philosophy, chair yoga allows yogis to practice while seated. Wear and tear on the body is minimized without sacrificing yoga’s many benefits.

Benefits of Chair Yoga for Seniors

  • In spite of any limitations one may have, chair yoga can provide an abundance of physical and mental benefits including:
  • Reduced stress
  • Increased flexibility and strength
  • Improved balance
  • Increased range of motion and mobility
  • Increased self-awareness
  • Pain management
  • Better sleep
  • Combats depression and anxiety
  • Promotes a sense of wellbeing

Whether you are restricted by ongoing muscular-skeletal issues or recovering from an injury, chair yoga for seniors gently challenges your joints and gets the blood flowing. Check out these chair yoga poses to get started.

Overhead Stretch

Seated in your armless, stable chair on a flat surface, face forward with your arms down at your sides. Take a long, deep breath and slowly stretch your arms upward to the ceiling. Hold for a moment, then bring your arms back down with a long exhale. Keep your core engaged and your back as straight as possible throughout this stretch.

Neck Stretch

Sitting straight up, without letting your back touch the back of your chair, extend your neck slowly upward. Think of the crown of your head rising to the ceiling. While holding the base of your chair with your right hand, slowly reach upwards with your left hand to hold your left temple. Take a deep breath and upon exhalation, gently dip your left ear towards your left shoulder without bending your back – or raising your right shoulder. Take several breaths in and out before switching sides.

Reverse Arm Hold

Keeping your back straight and away from the back of the chair, inhale deeply and reach your arms out straight to your sides at a low wide angle. Exhale slowly and reach your hands behind your back with slightly bent elbows. Arch your back slightly to feel the stretch in your shoulders and take several deep breaths in and out.

Chair Pigeon

Sit upright, and facing forward, with your back away from the back of the chair. Gently raise your left ankle to rest on top of your right knee or thigh. Use your hands to assist if necessary. Inhale deeply, flex your foot slightly, and bend forward on the exhale. After several deep breaths in the forward position, return to your upright sitting position. Gently switch sides and repeat the above steps.

Seated Forward Bend

Sit up straight with your knees together and your feet on the floor. Take a deep breath and upon exhaling, slowly bend forward. Feel your back extend one vertebra at a time. Lean as far forward as you can without strain or discomfort. Hold for several deep breaths and return to the upright position.

There are more than enough chair yoga poses for seniors to create a satisfying, beneficial practice. So, pull up a chair - on your own or with a buddy - and get this yoga party started.

Check out Overture's premier Active Adult Communities to live out your wellness dreams! Namaste.