Chair yoga has a geriatric reputation, but experts say these minimal moves can dramatically improve your overall health at any age.
Tight muscles make everyday life more difficult and sedentary jobs make the challenges worse. While we inevitably lose flexibility as we age, we can take steps (or stretches, rather) to slow the process.
Chair yoga aims to add flexibility and mobility from a seated position, making it a counterweight to sitting at a desk.
While most people assume you can’t get a good workout sitting down, experts say otherwise.
Stacie Dooreck, a certified yoga instructor based in Larkspur, California, has taught chair yoga at companies throughout the Bay Area.
“It’s safe for all ages and can be very gentle,” she told CNN. “It also helps with flexibility, posture – people in offices are usually slouched at their desks – and fights repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.”
The therapeutic benefits of yoga are well established; The regular practice is aassociated with improved sleep, lower blood pressure and less chronic pain.
When it comes to office work, a 2012 study from the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that employees who participated in yoga and mindfulness programs at work reported feeling less stressed during their 9-to-5 hours. at the end of the study than those who did not participate in the programs.
Further research has found that practicing mindfulness in the workplace through yoga and other techniques can be an effective buffer against anxiety, stress and burnout.
Yoga, whether in a chair or on a mat, has been found to benefit the mind and body. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that people who participated in yoga and breathing classes twice a week reported decreased symptoms of depression and increased productivity.
While chair yoga is getting a rebrand as an all-ages endeavor, The Post reported that yoga may be the key to thriving in old age, as this 98-year-old yoga teacher reveals.
How to start chair yoga
Dooreck assures that the benefits of chair yoga can be felt in just five minutes a day.
“Five minutes of chair yoga a day is better than doing it once a week for an hour,” she said. “You want to create a habit. After doing five minutes, people often want to do more because they feel better.”
She recommends that beginners engage in the poses below, taking care to breathe deeply through the nose as you move through them.
Warming up
Begin your practice by warming up your joints. Sit on the edge of your seat and make circles with your arms and legs. Dooreck explains, “This movement can prevent issues like carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrists, plus combat fatigue on your feet.”
Cat-cow
The cat-cow pose can easily be transformed into a sitting position. Sitting up straight, inhale as you lift your chin and push your chest forward, expanding your chest. On the exhale, imitate a cat by rounding the spine, a movement that stretches the upper back.
Side bends
Place your left hand in the air, bend to the right, then switch sides.
dislocations
Turn your body to one side, hold the pose for three to five breaths, then switch.
Seated forward bend
To combat shoulder tension, plant both feet on the floor, interlace your toes, raise your hands in the air, and fold forward until your chest is over your knees and your hands graze the floor.
Sitting pose
End your chair yoga practice with a moment of mindfulness. With your feet on the floor and hands resting on your thighs, take a few deep, slow breaths. Thank your body for showing up for you and try to clear your mind before going back to work.
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Image Source : nypost.com