Believe it or not, yoga is not just for 20-somethings in tights, carrying specialty coffees in one hand and yoga mats in the other.
You can do yoga at any age — really! And the benefits are just as significant as we age as they are for younger generations.
Many scientific studies show yoga to produce an abundance of benefits. Yoga is particularly helpful for seniors dealing with joint stiffness, low back pain, balance problems and depression. That said, it’s important to find the appropriate class for your health and level of conditioning. We encourage you to consult with your healthcare provider before joining a yoga class or trying the poses below.
The following provides a brief overview of yoga benefits for seniors and a glimpse at poses that support those benefits. The poses you see here can be made even gentler, or can be more advanced as your practice evolves.

1. Gain greater balance, body awareness and concentration: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates 1 out of every 2 women and 1 out of every 4 men over 50 will suffer a fracture related to a fall. Yoga balance poses help us to sync communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, improving our agility. Yoga also stimulates the nervous system and the brain, thereby sharpening memory and powers of concentration.
Tree Pose: Improves balance and focus

2. Reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep. A number of studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety. By doing repetitive postures and focusing on breathing you can create a positive and contented state of mind while shifting the body into a state of relaxation.

Bridge pose: strengthens your lower back while supporting relaxation.

Legs-up-wall pose: Gentle release, while helping recirculate blood back to the heart.

3. Increase bone density and strengthen bones: After age 40, we start to lose bone density each year, and eventually can lose about a half-pound of muscle per year for each year we’re not regularly engaged in resistance training. Yoga postures can significantly slow this trend, while improving posture and spinal health, and reducing back pain.

Warrior II Pose: Strengthens the quadriceps and improves hip flexibility

4. Increase Flexibility: It is not a ‘requirement’ that we stiffen and tighten as we age. Yoga offers a gentle approach to improving flexibility by lengthening the spine, which helps improve nerve conduction to all the organs.

Triangle Pose: Good for people with arch problems or flat feet, the triangle pose is also good for hip flexibility and balance

5. Improve many internal processes. Many studies show that yoga improves digestion and blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, regulates blood sugar and cholesterol, and strengthens your immune system.

Seated Twist: Encourages waste materials to move and stimulates circulation to the digestive organs.

For more information, or to learn more about what yoga classes might be right for you, visit www.bensonhenryinstitute.org or email Director of Yoga Programs, Laura Malloy, LICSW lmalloy@partners.org.