Yoga has gained immense popularity over the last few decades and has witnessed a surge in its practitioners. Most people are aware of the fact that practicing yoga has many health benefits and practice it regularly. But, some people such as working professional, who can’t find time for practice, or elderly people, who have lost flexibility due to age, can adopt another form of yoga called ‘Chair Yoga’.
Chair yoga, based on Hatha yoga, involves practicing poses and exercises on chairs rather than the floor. The chair also provides support when yoga is practiced while standing. This form of yoga is best suited for most older adults, persons with limited mobility or health conditions that hinder major movements. Even people who use walkers or wheelchairs can practice chair yoga.1 Though the Arthritis Foundation recommends the practice of yoga to reduce joint pain, improve flexibility and balance, and reduce stress and tension, many older adults cannot participate in standing exercises because of lack of muscle strength, pain, and balance. Chair yoga is perfect for older adults who cannot perform standing yoga.2 Working professionals, who spend most of their time sitting in front of a computer also can practice chair yoga for a few minutes daily. Many studies on chair-based yoga have shown that it improves balance, self-efficacy, and quality of life, especially among elderly people.3 Some prominent health benefits are discussed here, which can help improve our physical and mental health.
1. Cut Down Hypertension
Yoga has a strong impact on stress and hypertension and reduces people’s dependency on medication. In a specific study, significant reductions in blood pressure were observed. The postures, meditation, and slow breathing that are part of yoga practice help in decreasing nervous system activity, which reduces blood pressure levels.4
2. Defeat Anxiety
Regular yoga practice makes you relaxed and better equips you to respond to stress. Stress causes anxiety, which increases the heart beats and tenses the muscles. Yoga reduces anxiety and helps reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and aids breathing. In a 2015 study, women who attended a one-hour yoga session twice a week reported that they witnessed a massive drop in anxiety after the 8-week study period. 5
3. Improve Strength And Balance
Since yoga involves slow, calculated movements and strengthening poses, it helps you to improve your strength and achieve better body balance. Elderly people are vulnerable to falls and injuries because they lack balance and agility. Falls are the primary cause of injury among older adults. Practicing chair yoga enables them to build strength and equilibrium, while the postures are performed easily in the comfort of a chair. Additionally, with improvement in strength and balance, the confidence of the person also increases.6
4. Beef Up Your Bones
Strong bones are essential for a person to function normally in everyday life. Weak bones not only cause painful conditions, but also restrict the activities of a person. During their 50s, people often begin to show signs of osteoporosis and low bone density. Many studies have shown that the weight-bearing activity of yoga slows down bone thinning and reduces the risks of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.7 Other studies conducted especially on women reveal that regular yoga practice improves the quality of life and promotes positive physical and psychological changes in post-menopausal women. The experiment showed that 12 weeks of yoga practice decreased the symptoms of menopause and reduced stress levels and depression symptoms.8
5. Safeguard Your Joints
When people cross the age of 50, the joints become weak and less flexible. Regular yoga practice helps lubricate the joints and keep arthritis away. As people get older, it is important to care for the joints and ensure that the joints receive ample exercise to keep them functioning optimally. This will empower the older adults to remain independent and preserve their ability to perform daily activities.9 In reference to the next point about weight control, excess body weight too contributes to premature wear-and-tear of the joints. So, losing a few pounds will definitely extend the life and health of the joints.
6. Control Your Weight
Many people practice yoga to lose weight. Although not the most efficient weight-loss regime, it is, without a doubt, the safest method to control your weight. Yoga, in general, improves concentration and will-power and helps you focus on well-being rather than instant satisfaction. A 2014 study showed that diabetic people who practiced yoga 3-6 days a week for two months, lost more weight than the diabetic people who walked for the same duration.10 This shows that chair yoga can help the elderly, diabetic people to keep their weight under control. Even at their workstations, people can perform simple chair yoga exercises and ensure that they provide an activity to their muscles and bones, and tackle obesity too!
7. Yoga At Work
Working professionals can overcome stress and stave off diseases that arise from insufficient physical activity, such as bone and muscle degeneration, by practicing chair yoga. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chair yoga, performed while seated in the office workspace, on physiological and psychological aspects of stress. Immediately after yoga practice, the stress and respiration rate significantly reduced and it induced a relaxing effect on the participants. This study shows that practicing 15 minutes of chair-based yoga postures in the office workspace can sharply improve several physiological and psychological markers of stress. Long-term practice of chair yoga to mitigate stress in the workplace may result in significant health benefits.11
8. Alleviate Osteoarthritis Pain
Chair yoga is a proven technique to reduce pain and improve the quality of life among older adults, who suffer from osteoarthritis in their hip, knee, ankle or foot. Osteoarthritis affects over 33 % of people over the age of 65 in the U.S. and is the major reason for long-term disability among older adults. They can improve their health without any drugs or pharmaceutical medication, which almost always have terrible side-effects. Results from a study found that practitioners of chair yoga showed a greater reduction in pain, reductions in fatigue and improvement in gait speed. Study findings demonstrate that chair yoga reduced pain interference in everyday activities.12
Regular yoga practice results in muscle flexibility and connective tissues surrounding the bones and joints. This is thought to reduced aches and pains. Yoga helps to build and maintain muscle strength, which prevents conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain.13
9. Subdue Psychological Disorders
With deteriorating physical health, even the mind develops various disorders. Simple chair yoga can help achieve tranquility of the mind and create a sense of well-being, relaxed feelings, improved self-confidence and efficiency, increased concentration, and an optimistic approach to life. Mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, and insomnia can be treated through yoga. Yoga teaches us to relax and breath slowly. It lowers cortisol levels and increases blood flow to the intestines and vital organs.14
All these studies and research provides evidence that chair yoga is an effective method to overcome many age-related physiological and psychological disorders. It promotes the overall well-being of a person and enhances the quality of life. The technique is simple, and can be performed at home or at work.
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