For old adults, many forms of exercise are complex to adopt. They have difficulty with exercises related to joints, and too intensive a workout can cause more harm than good for them. So, yoga is commonly seen by many senior citizens as a preferred method of exercise.

Nepal Yoga Home’s founder, Yoga Guru Ananda Prakash, says, “Anyone can get into yoga. Age isn’t a factor.”

What differentiates yoga from working out in the gym, Zumba, or other exercises?

“Yoga is not only physical but very holistic in nature,” adds Guru Prakash. “We have various dimensions, like meditation, pranayama for breathing, pratyahara, which brings focus to the sense organs, and dharana, for mental awareness.”

These methods help with all aspects of body exercise, are easy to learn, and can be done anywhere.

Guru Prakash adds that old age is even more suited explicitly for yoga. “At this stage, one issue many encounter is how to spend their free time. Yoga and meditation not only solves that but also calms them down.” In that way, yoga is an exercise that is not focused on strength or endurance but is more preventative.

“Yoga helps build longevity, and retirement is the perfect time for that,” believes Prakash.

Nepal Yoga Home also offers specific exercises curated for older adults. This includes various asanas, breathing exercises, forms of meditation, and even mantra chanting. “Positions like plank pose, cobra pose, tabletop pose and other similar exercises which can be simply done,” says Guru Prakash.

Anusara yoga is another good alternative for senior citizens. “Anusara means following your heart. This exercise includes yoga, but in a non-competitive space, slowly and in rhythm,” he says.

Many such methods and asanas are packaged as yoga curated for older people and founded by Guru Prakash, Seniors Yoga. “Our focus with Seniors Yoga is to do small things like help relieve stress, ease digestion, and timely sleep,” Guru Prakash adds.

Yet, the focus of Seniors yoga is not just physical but more holistic. “Our programs for senior citizens include laughter therapy and various kinds of pranayamas, often done together. We like to create an environment to ease bodily functioning,” says Guru Prakash.

These methods have many advantages, including regulating heart rate and blood pressure and combating memory-related ailments more prevalent in old age, like dementia. While not as curative as homoeopathy, these yoga methods are certainly preventative.

Meditation is another important aspect of Yoga, as are many forms of recreation, such as religious bhajan channels or retellings of mythological stories.

Regarding getting into Yoga, Guru Prakash believes it is easier for older people to adopt it in their lifestyle. “Yoga has religious roots a lot of elderly people can relate to, and it doesn’t strain the body. You don’t need equipment or special rooms,” he says.

Similarly, it is also curated with a focus on older adults’ needs. “Yoga can be an excuse for many people to do something in their free time. It is a great occupier of the mind and rarely adds any stress.”

Doing yoga in collective sessions with other older people also gives many an alternative socialisation opportunity, which is necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

Yet, despite the relative safety of yoga, and the Seniors Yoga program in particular, there are always precautions to be taken. “We do not recommend people to hold their poses for longer than 10-15 seconds,” says Guru Prakash.

“Focusing on a particular spot while doing asanas also helps. That way, there is less disturbance in balance and minimises chances of injury.”

Guru Prakash also recommends being wary of joint-related and stretching exercises and getting introduced to new asanas only under the supervision of an expert.

Most importantly, as per Guru Prakash, yoga has to be a fun retreat for older adults. “Many people want to relax or focus on spirituality,” he says.