As we get older, our bodies change. A particularly prominent change can be a loss of balance and stability. Our muscles lose strength, our joints become stiffer and our previously sure coordination can feel a little off balance.
Good balance is essential for fall prevention, confident movement and an active lifestyle. Thankfully, balance is something that can be improved with practice, regardless of age.
Practicing yoga is a safe and non-intense method to strengthen your body, increase flexibility and regain balance. With a little mindful movement each day, for just a few minutes, you can improve your strength and balance. These five simple yoga poses are perfect for people over 50 to improve strength and re-establish balance.
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
It may seem like you are standing in place, but Mountain Pose is a dynamic pose which helps you understand the importance of alignment and balance.
How to do it
Separate your feet so they are parallel and a hip distance apart. Spread your weight equally through the big and small toes. Slightly engage your quadriceps to lift your kneecaps, pull in your navel and allow your arms to hang by your sides with palms facing forward. Look straight ahead and breathe deeply for five breaths.
- Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Tree pose is a stand-alone balancing exercise that works your ankles, calves and core, as well as provides a mental focus.
How to do it
You can use a wall or a chair for balance. Stand on your left leg. Flex your right knee and bring the sole of your right foot to your left inner ankle or calf (don’t put pressure on the knee). When you feel balanced, bring your hands to your heart or place one hand on your support. Breathe for three to five breaths, and switch legs.
- Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
To balance on your feet, you need balance. Chair pose works the muscles on the front, back and sides of your thighs, glutes and ankles, helping you to stand tall and stable.
How to do it
Start with your feet together. As you inhale, lift your arms overhead. Exhale and bend your knees, while pushing your hips backwards, as though you’re sitting in a chair. Look forward, and keep your abdomen pulled in. Stay in the pose for three to five breaths, then slowly rise to standing on your heels.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
This is a great pose for strengthening the lower body and opening the hips, which can tend to tighten and decrease mobility with age.
How to do it
Stand with your feet three or four feet apart. Rotate your right foot to 90 degrees and slightly turn left foot inwards. Turn your right knee to align over your right ankle. Bring your arms out in front of you, parallel to the floor with palms facing down, and look out in front of your right fingertips. Once you’ve held this pose for five breaths, straighten the leg, and switch sides.
- Single-Leg Lift
This exercise is an excellent modification for working on weight-shifting, an important part of walking and staying safe on around uneven surfaces.
How to do it
Stand upright with a chair or wall to support you. Rest your hands on your hips (or support). Gradually move your weight onto your left foot. Extend your right leg to the front at hip height, flexing the foot. Keep it there for a few seconds (hint: keep your upper body completely still), and bring the foot down. Repeat five times on each leg.
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Make Balance a Daily Habit
To improve your balance, you don’t need a marathon of exercise. It’s about quality, not quantity. Performing these five poses for just ten minutes a day will teach your nervous system and muscles to co-ordinate.
Here’s a tip: if you have one thing you do every day, do this 10-minute routine after that – for example, after your coffee or before the evening news. Be sure to listen to your body, use a wall or chair to balance if you feel unsteady, and focus on deep breathing. And after a few weeks, you will find yourself walking with a newfound sense of ease as you go about your day.
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