As retirees we generally have more time for ourselves and our family. We also have more time for leisure, recreation, and relaxation. But, while recognizing that we do have quite a bit of time on our hands, we must also keep in mind that we are not getting any younger. As a result, we find that we are more susceptible to many ailments, if you will, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, incontinence, and rheumatism to name a few.
If we are in fairly good health, we tend to think of what we can do to prevent the degeneration of our bodies. To do this however means that we must also take into consideration how this can be done in a manner in which our bodies will also recognize whatever physical limitations we might have. While many of us seniors automatically think mild forms of exercise to keep physically fit mean: jogging, walking, and/or swimming.
According to Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia: Yoga is the Hindu practice of physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating.
I would venture to say that many of us have a friend or relative that suffered a slip and fall and learned through this unfortunate event how such an incident affected the balance of their lives as they aged. Slip and falls are just two of the things we concern ourselves with as we age. How can we protect ourselves from slips and falls? Quite possibly with Yoga!
Practicing yoga several times a week would, in all probability, provide us with increased muscle tone, balance, strength, better posture, less stress and even an improved mood. Another benefit might be improved sleep habits. But, we just cannot go out there and say I am going to take up yoga.
There are various components retirees/seniors must take into consideration when thinking about the type of workout they need to stay physically fit. Areas they need to look into are low impact cardio routines, some form of resistance training, and stretching exercises.
There are numerous types of yoga programs that would accomplish all this but some are more demanding than others, Seniors/retirees should give serious thought to which yoga program might be suitable for them before embarking on any of them.
Does anyone do Yoga? IF so, please leave your Yoga experience here... I would love to pass your two
cents along to help others!