If you’re starting to wake up with stiff joints, and tired eyes and aren’t feeling like the spring chicken you once were, yoga might be the fix that you’re looking for. You’re never too old to begin practicing yoga and it’s something that everyone can do, no matter how physically active you are at present. With endless benefits for mental, physical, and emotional health, spending a few moments on that mat each day can keep you feeling your best for longer.
Are you starting to feel your age? Check out Yoga Wake Up’s newest category, Aging Well, to try yoga and meditation classes designed to help you live a happy and healthy life.
Balance
As we age, our risk of falling becomes higher and the side effects of falling become more severe. Having good balance can help you to prevent injury, and yoga is a great way to improve your balance! Many yoga poses call for having decent balance skills but remember that every yoga pose can be modified to your current ability as you work toward improving your balance. In our newest series, "Better Balance", created by Yoga Wake Up teacher Niki Saccareccia, the series will take you through 3 classes that will help you reduce your risk of falling, improve your confidence, and increase your balance! Check it out in-app now.
Flexibility
One of the more common misconceptions of yoga is that you have to be flexible in order to practice. We’re happy to report that this isn’t true — but, practicing yoga can improve your flexibility! Flexibility has a huge impact on our health — from the way our body feels during everyday movements to lowering the risk of injury, it’s a key part of our overall well-being. Flexibility improves our posture, lowers muscle tension leading to reduced stress, improves blood circulation, and creates a greater range of motion.
Chronic back pain
Studies have shown that yoga can have incredible benefits for people with chronic back and neck pain — A 2018 report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality evaluated 8 trials of yoga for low back pain and found that yoga improved pain and function both in the short term (1 to 6 months) and intermediate-term (6 to 12 months). Most people report that they begin to experience neck and back pain between the ages of 40-60 years old, and if left untreated, the pain could make doing your favorite activities difficult. By practicing yoga, you can increase your chances of continuing to do the things you love, for longer.
Memory and Brain Health
A study at UCLA found that a 3-month course of yoga and meditation helped to minimize the cognitive and emotional problems that often precede Alzheimer’s Disease. The study was the first to compare the outcomes of yoga and meditation against memory training exercises, like crossword puzzles and computer programs. The participants that practiced yoga weekly, and meditation daily, had better improvements in visual-spatial memory skills and verbal memory skills. Plus, they had better results in reducing depression and anxiety, as well as improving coping skills and stress resilience. A regular yoga and meditation practice is a simple, easy, and cost-effective way to keep your mind healthy, and longer!
Looking for easy, accessible yoga and meditation classes? Download Yoga Wake Up and try our new Aging Well category! Your brain will thank you.
Eye Health
As we age, it’s normal to experience changes in vision. With the average American spending over seven hours per day looking at a screen, it's no surprise that eye strain and vision problems are on the rise. When was the last time you exercised your eyes? If we had to guess, the answer is probably never. There’s evidence that eye yoga can improve your ability to focus, and reduce the symptoms of eye strain. In one of our newest classes, Yoga for Eye Health, you’ll learn gentle practices you can do to give your eyes some much-needed love. A fair warning though, start slow! If you haven’t solely focused on moving your eye muscles before, you could experience feelings of soreness, similar to working any other muscle in your body.
With endless other physical, emotional, and mental benefits, yoga is one thing you can do for yourself to aid in living a long, happy, and healthy life. Yoga Wake Up just launched a brand new category, Aging Well, featuring classes to keep you feeling your best, longer. With sessions focused on eye health, flexibility, preventing neck and back pain, and more, you’ll treat your mind and body to the extra care it deserves.
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