Chair yoga is a form of gentle yoga that involves seated postures and, sometimes, standing postures that use a chair for balance. “Chair yoga is huge, and the benefits are so far-reaching. Take someone who has been active all their life and, for whatever reason, can no longer do some of those activities that they love; this fills that gap for them. So, they can do things and get or stay in shape, keeping those muscles and bones strong,” says yoga instructor Colleen Jones.
Chair yoga involves many of the same postures and movements as freestanding yoga — but with more support — and offers many of the same benefits. Before encouraging a senior loved one or client to try senior chair yoga, though, there are a few safety precautions to note. Here’s everything seniors, caregivers and family members should know about chair yoga for seniors, including how to help someone get started.
Benefits of chair yoga for seniors
According to yoga instructor Lisa Gaglione, chair yoga is a great exercise for elderly people. She says that chair yoga presents a variety of benefits for them. For instance, it can lower blood pressure and reduce chronic pain. It can also relieve anxiety and depression. What’s more, regular physical activity is known to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Ageing brings several negative physiological issues such as sarcopenia, or the gradual loss of muscle mass, which can significantly decrease functional strength and quality of life. According to Michael Hutkins, who has been teaching yoga for 15 years and chair yoga for the past six, “chair yoga exercises the entire body one part at a time, which helps seniors become more aware of their bodies. This awareness helps them control their bodies better. Exercising each part lubricates all the joints and strengthens all the muscles, which helps with mobility and balance.”
Research backs this up: An April 2019 systematic review of research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that yoga improves multiple markers of physical function and overall health-related quality of life in older adults.
What, exactly, can you gain from chair yoga? Here are some of the demonstrated benefits.
Improved muscle strength, balance and flexibility
“Yoga can help increase functional strength, balance and flexibility,” Hutkins says, adding that chair yoga also helps seniors perform daily tasks more easily through increased strength and mobility. “If you can get your shoes on easier, then you know that you’re advancing.”
The 2019 research review concluded that yoga can help improve balance, flexibility and lower limb strength, while another small study published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation found that chair yoga significantly improves handgrip strength, upper-body strength, lower-body strength, and static and dynamic balance. All these skills help seniors continue to move safely and independently.
Reduced chronic pain
Chair yoga can also help reduce chronic pain. A 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that 45 minutes of chair yoga twice weekly for eight weeks helped reduce joint pain in older adults with osteoarthritis. Even better, the effect lasted three months after the yoga program ended. One of Hutkins’ students said that chair yoga helped her recover from hip replacement surgery.
Better mental health and sleep
The 2019 research review also linked yoga with improvements in perceived mental health, depression, sleep quality and vitality in older adults. According to Hutkins, “A lot of my students say that learning to breathe properly gives them more energy. The slow breathing helps calm their nervous system.”
And for older adults who live with dementia (about 10% of that population, according to a study by Columbia University), regular physical activity, like chair yoga, can promote healthy sleep and emotional well-being.
Social connection
The community aspect and social connections provided by an in-person or live virtual yoga class are highly beneficial and shouldn’t be overlooked. For instance, Traci Williams, who has taught chair yoga to seniors, says her class participants formed incredible bonds. “They enjoyed the social aspects of the class as much as the exercises.”
Extensive research into the power of social relationships and longevity emphasizes this benefit as well. For example, a 2010 meta-analysis published in PLoS Medicine looked at 148 studies and found that strong social connections boost “chances of survival” by 50%, meaning they help extend your life. Other research shows that that effect is even more significant among older adults.
How chair yoga compares to freestanding yoga for seniors
Some seniors may be able to do traditional freestanding yoga on a mat, without a chair. If you’re a healthy, active senior who is still relatively strong and free from any major physiological issues, freestanding yoga might be the choice for you, but if balance and coordination are issues you are currently dealing with, chair yoga can be a worthwhile choice.
When in doubt, choose chair yoga, and you or your older loved one can build up to a freestanding practice with the help of an instructor. Williams says that she saw seniors improve their balance, strength and coordination as they progressed.
How seniors can get started with chair yoga
“In Canada, yoga teachers have to be certified in chair yoga if they’re teaching yoga to seniors, and they also have to undergo a police check,” says Williams. You may rest assured that if you’re attending a class in a senior living centre or any other place that employs an instructor, you’re being taught by someone properly qualified.
Many community centres (especially in places like nursing homes or medical care facilities) offer free or significantly discounted chair yoga for elderly people. If you or your older loved one can’t make it to a class in person, there are also free classes online, such as on YouTube.
There are numerous easy-to-follow, simple videos online, which means that there are no financial barriers to getting started. For instance, Hutkins has a YouTube channel with several chair yoga videos. You can also find a teacher, like Wilson, who leads live classes virtually — a good option to enhance compliance, motivation and socialization.
If you or your older loved one is going to do chair yoga at home, just make sure you have a sturdy chair without arms and a flat surface to place it on, Morrison says. You might also want a blanket or pillow to help make you comfortable during Savasana, the final resting pose. Yoga is traditionally practised with bare feet, but seniors may also like to wear a pair of grippy socks to help keep their feet warm without any risk of slipping.
Chair yoga safety tips for seniors
Here are a few must-knows, according to experts.
Get clearance from a doctor
Before beginning, be sure you or your senior loved one gets the green light from a medical professional. Check with your doctor before attending class to ensure that yoga is safe to practise for any chronic physical or mental health condition you have.
Tell the instructor about any health issues
If you or your older loved one are dealing with any chronic conditions or have any injuries or pain, you should let your instructor know before starting. Your chair yoga instructor should have medical history forms available for new students to alert them to any health issues they have so they can offer appropriate adjustments.
Come with an open mind
Open yourself up to all the physical, mental and emotional benefits yoga offers. The practice is more than just movement. Your focus should be on how things feel for you, not what anyone else is doing.
Listen to your body
“Yoga teaches us to listen to our bodies,” says Hutkins. “This is more important for seniors since it can take longer to heal. With chair yoga, students learn to recognize signs from the body such as heavy breathing, tense shoulders or a squishy face as warnings that it is time to slow down and take a break.”
Hutkins also says that listening to these signs in class will help students recognize them in daily life and stay within a healthy limit for exercise and other activities. He adds, “This will help prevent injuries and let people do more by not getting to the point where the body or mind is overwhelmed.”
How often should seniors do chair yoga?
Research demonstrates the safety and benefits of doing chair yoga twice a week, for about 45 minutes each session, but that’s certainly not the maximum. Seniors may be able to do chair yoga every day at the direction of their doctor or another medical professional.
For seniors who are still fairly mobile, it’s also a good idea to mix it up rather than doing only chair yoga. While yoga has a myriad of benefits, both physiologically and psychologically, engaging in a variety of movement modalities such as walking, swimming, dancing and more can confer the greatest health benefits.
Senior chair yoga poses to try
To get a taste of what a chair yoga practice might look like, check out these five poses, which should be done after a full-body warm-up. There are numerous ways to modify each one of these poses, so if you can’t do one properly, an instructor can help you find the version of the pose suited for you or your older loved one.
Sitting Mountain
Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees. Place your hands on your thighs and extend the crown of your head towards the ceiling. Think about stacking your shoulders and head directly over your hips, with your spine long and core engaged. Hold for three belly breaths.
Cat-Cow
Start in Sitting Mountain, with your hands on your knees. Inhale and slowly arch your back, pulling your chest forward and gently dropping your head backward. This is Cow. Exhale and slowly pull your belly button towards the back of the chair, rounding your back and allowing your head to fold forward. This is Cat. Repeat for three or four breaths.
Tree
From Sitting Mountain, gently lift the left foot off the floor and cross your left foot over your right thigh, allowing your left knee to fall open. Keep your left foot flexed and your spine tall. Keep your hands resting on your thighs, then bring them up to a prayer position in front of your chest or extend them overhead. Hold for three breaths. Release the pose slowly, starting with your upper body, then repeat on the opposite side.
Peaceful Warrior
Carefully turn to face the left side of the chair, so your left leg is closer to the back of the chair and your right leg is closer to the front. Ground your left foot onto the floor, then slowly extend your right leg behind you, knee pointing towards the floor, keeping your weight on the chair. Allow your hands to rest on your front thigh, then bring them up to a prayer position in front of your chest or extend them overhead. Hold for three breaths. Release the pose slowly, starting with your upper body, then repeat on the opposite side.
Proud Warrior
Start in Sitting Mountain. Ground your left foot onto the floor, then slowly extend the right foot out to the side, trying to keep your toes facing forward and your foot flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your front thigh, then bring them up to a prayer position in front of your chest or extend them out to the sides at shoulder height. Keeping your spine long and shoulders pointing forward, turn your head to gaze over your left hand. Hold for three breaths. Release the pose slowly, starting with your upper body, then repeat on the opposite side.
Side Angle
Start in Sitting Mountain. Ground your left foot onto the floor, then slowly extend the right foot out to the side, trying to keep your toes facing forward and your foot flat on the floor. If possible, lower your left elbow onto your left thigh, and extend the right arm overhead, reaching it up and to the left, so you feel a stretch along the right side of your body. Hold for three breaths. Release the pose slowly, starting with your upper body, then repeat on the opposite side.
The bottom line on chair yoga for seniors
“Chair yoga is a great exercise for older people or those with limited mobility. It exercises their entire body and helps them work towards peace of mind,” Hutkins says. “The chair yoga practice brings physical health through strengthening and stretching muscles, lubricating joints and deeper breathing. It brings mental health through becoming more aware of thoughts and learning to calm the turbulence of the mind. It also fosters spiritual health by helping students connect with their inner calm or inner peace. Find a class near you or take a look on YouTube!”
Whether you’re looking to help an older relative stay active or you’re researching for yourself, one thing’s for sure: Chair yoga is a pretty good bet.
