Yoga can be a very intense practice. It can be very physical, and it can be very mental. The fact is that yoga is good for health in so many ways. It is one of the best ways to relieve stress, help with sleep and relaxation, and even build muscle mass. Although most people think of yoga as a young person’s practice, as you get older, you may find that you are more interested in it. This is a great time to start practicing yoga. Yoga can be a great way to improve your life in many ways.
There is a great deal of confusion that the practice of yoga can greatly help with health and wellbeing. Nearly everyone will tell you that they have done yoga and it helped them in some way, shape, or form. But what is it that they are really talking about?
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard the phrase “yoga for seniors”. While we love the idea of yoga when we’re young, many of us find it difficult to practice once we reach our 40s. If you’re finding that yoga is no longer a part of your life, then you might be surprised to learn that a lot of Dr. Pattabhi Jois’s early yoga students were in their 60s and 70s. Jois himself practiced yoga in his 40s and 50s. He passed the torch of yoga to his son, B.K.S. Iyengar, when he was over 60 years old.
If we’re fortunate, we’ll all suffer from the indignities of age, such as painful joints, decreased circulation and movement, mental fog, and so on. Exercise may help with a variety of ailments, but yoga has a special effect on bodies over 40.
You may be thinking, “40’s not that old!” and you’d be correct. However, various areas of our body begin to deteriorate at different rates. Our lungs and brains are the first to give up and begin to age at the age of 20, followed by our skin in our mid-twenties and our organs, which begin to age at the ages of 70 and 50 years, respectively.
Of fact, aging is unique to each person, and everything we do in our daily lives has the potential to speed up or slow down the aging process in various areas of our bodies—or at the absolute least, to alleviate some of the symptoms. Aging doesn’t have to be a chore, and many yoga practitioners swear that it’s the key to entering the second half of life with grace and pleasure.
Here are just a few of the benefits of doing yoga in your forties.
To keep your muscles toned and flexible
Our bones begin to deteriorate around the age of 35, and our muscles begin to deteriorate at the age of 30. This may cause joint and ligament degeneration, leaving us stiff and less flexible. Yoga combats these symptoms by assisting you in maintaining muscle tone and flexibility, making you more injury resistant while staying active and healthy.
If you’ve been hurt and believe your younger self would have bounced back like a rubber ball but your older self can’t seem to shake the pain, yoga is a great method to rehabilitate and keep your body moving while you heal. It’s the ideal method to remain in shape while keeping your workout low-impact and gentle on your joints.
Yoga’s weight-bearing elements have also been proven in studies to help prevent and even reverse the effects of osteoporosis, preventing bone loss. Yoga has been shown to enhance balance, making you less likely to fall or hurt yourself in a car accident. Yoga makes you less likely to hurt yourself in the first place, but it also makes you better equipped to recover if you do.
Improve Your Spinal Health
The spine and its accompanying muscles are one of the main musculoskeletal groups that yoga keeps flexible. We lose our flexibility and plasticity in the surrounding muscles and joints if we have a painful or stiff spine, which is more probable as we age. We become less active, gain weight, and lose our flexibility and plasticity in the accompanying muscles and joints.
We pay particular attention to our spinal health when we practice yoga that involves twists and back bends, which is an important part of keeping our whole body younger for longer.
To maintain mental sharpness, clarity, and focus
As we become older, it may become more difficult to remember details, facts, and faces—mental yoga’s concentration, clarity, and contemplative elements may help keep your mind sharp, your anxiety low, and your mood high.
Because, as numerous studies have shown, our mind, immune system, and health are all intricately connected, maintaining a positive attitude is critical to aging well and remaining healthy.
As we enter our early twenties, our lungs (along with our brain) are the first to fail, and as we all know, one of the most important principles of yoga is steady, calm, movement-oriented breath. Yoga’s breathing component may help maintain this rather fragile organ supple, operating at full capacity, and free of pollution particles.
If you’re already a practicing yogi, yin yoga and hatha yoga are particularly beneficial to add to your yoga repertoire as you become older, since both forms of yoga concentrate specifically on joint health and breathing.
Start gently and work your way up if you’re new to yoga and want to participate in the fun to help you negotiate some of the new pleasures that come with growing into an older body—I wouldn’t suggest diving right into a 90-minute hot power yoga session, but if that’s what you want to do, go for it.
Trying something new, connecting with a group, and having something to look forward to are all great reasons to start a yoga practice, and it may be exactly what you need to spice up your fitness routine as you reach your forties.
Gordon Ogden is the author of this image.
You’ve probably thought about yoga at least a few times over the years, but never gotten around to trying it. The truth is that you need to do yoga at least once a week if you want to keep your body in tip-top shape. How do you practice yoga? Yoga is a broad term that includes many different practices. You can choose from asana, pranayama, meditation, and more. You can even pick a style that suits your personality and your needs. Some people like to kick back and do yoga at home, while others prefer a class that focuses on getting you moving and breathing.. Read more about yoga for 40 year-old man and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is yoga good for over 40?
Yoga is good for everyone, regardless of age.
Why is yoga good for older adults?
Yoga is a great way to help older adults maintain their health and independence. It helps with balance, flexibility, strength, and endurance.
Is yoga good for anti-aging?
Yoga is a great way to keep your body healthy and strong, but its not a good idea to use it as an anti-aging tool.