Yoga is one of those activities that can be done for a lifetime like walking, swimming, golf and tennis. While those sports can be limiting when it comes to weather and financial resources, yoga requires nothing more than a mat, and perhaps a DVD for instructions — something that can be bought secondhand for a dollar or two.
Yoga can offer a lean and lithe body, and can bring great inner peace to the participant. Growing older has its own set of challenges and yoga can have a huge positive impact on the older woman.
Worried about being the little old lady with the hunchback? Remember to maintain good bone health, since osteoporosis is a risk for any woman, but especially for a postmenopausal woman. Yoga is an excellent tool to improve posture.
Modern life has us hunched over our laptops. Many of us are working from home on the sofa instead of on a proper chair and at a proper desk (guilty as charged) and generally being too passive and slumped over for our own good.
Says Yoga.com, “Not only is this unattractive, it can also be painful, as it often causes people to feel tight, achy and sore around the neck, shoulders, and upper and lower back. Fixing your posture with yoga requires that you do poses that open your chest and shoulders, allow you to gently bend your back, lengthen your spine, and allow you to experience what a steady, balanced, posture feels like.”
For poses that help posture the most, click here for a visual.
Yoga poses allow the body to stretch and become more supple and graceful. Movement can become easier, and there is far less stiffness in the body. A regularly practicing Yogi will find herself standing taller and walking with a good stride.
Yoga also encourages balance, and this may help prevent falls. It is also widely held that yoga can help prevent injuries in sports and physical activities — something older people are becoming more involved with.
Yoga poses are a series of stretches, arches, bends and leans. They are fluid and balanced, yet also provide an excellent workout.
The American Osteopathic Association espouses the many benefits of yoga too. Yoga strengthens muscles, builds better flexibility and keeps the body at a healthy weight. The benefits of yoga are also excellent for the brain.
The American Osteopathic Association said that along with its physical benefits, yoga helps manage stress, thus offering protection to both body and mind. The AOA spoke with Dr. Natalie Nevins, DO about the overall benefits that include the mental and emotional.
“Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate,” says Dr. Nevins. “Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook on life.”
Menopause and getting older can certainly take an emotional toll. Children have left the home, perhaps a spouse has died, or the family home is sold for something smaller. Stress management is key to being able to cope with the vast changes that come with getting older.
As a practitioner of yoga myself, I can say that regular practitioners tend to have an inner peace that's so necessary in today's world. Their bodies have good posture, and they move with great nimbleness. Getting old is no reason to lose this kind of grace.
Yoga is a fully adaptable activity. While instructions and guides are given, everyone can move at their own pace and rest when they want to. There is a period of reflection and relaxation at the end of every yoga session that makes it nearly impossible to leave feeling stressed.
Taking on life in older age with grace and strength, instead of retiring to the porch swing, makes the world a far more interesting place for yourself and for others. While living a full life of quality, you can inspire others to do so too.
Yoga is an ancient practice that is becoming better understood and valued by the Western world. And it’s particularly great for the older woman’s body and mind, creating a strong and graceful body, and a mind and inner spirit that matches.
Sources:
Yoga.com. Yoga Poses to Fix Your Posture. Web. Retrieved September 20th 2015.
https://yoga.com/article/yoga-poses-to-fix-your-posture
The American Osteopathic Association. Osteopathic Health. The Benefits of Yoga. Web. Retrieved September 20th 2015.
http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-c...
Reviewed September 24, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith