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Is Yoga Just For Hippies?
Set aside your idea of yoga as a hokey, new age concept. Yoga’s reputation as a weird hippie cult is changing fast. Whether you’re an on-the-go businessperson or a retired senior, yoga is an ideal way to lead a healthier and, many practitioners say, happier lifestyle.
Yoga is for people who want to look and feel younger
As early as our 30s, muscles mass begins to decrease 1% to 2% each year. While it doesn’t sound like much, by the time you reach your 50s you may find yourself struggling to load groceries into the car. Flexibility also suffers with age. Tasks like reaching for a product on a shelf or grabbing an item that’s fallen behind furniture become more difficult.
The postures of yoga allow students to develop a range of motion that permits them to do those simple, but important, tasks of daily living. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing found that seniors who participated in a yoga program showed significant improvements in their range of motion.
Father Time also brings an increased risk of chronic conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and arthritis. Research shows how effective yoga can be in combating these life-changing diagnoses. A University of Virginia Health Systems study found that regular yoga practice is a safe and effective therapy for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Another 2008 study published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure found that an 8-week yoga program improved the quality of life and reduced levels of harmful inflammation in patients with heart failure.
So not only does yoga help the body feel as flexible and strong as it did when it was younger, it also helps combat those conditions that come with age.
Yoga is for people with physical limitations
While we often imagine yoga as a practice dominated by slim, Gumby-like women, it’s easily accessible to those with physical conditions or injuries.
Yoga has been successfully practiced by students with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS). A study published in International Quarterly of Community Health Education also found that yoga students with arthritis, one of the most common debilitating conditions, reported that their aching joints worked better and they felt a higher quality of life. In addition, a 2008 Indian study found that after only seven days of daily yoga lessons, patients with chronic lower back pain reported more comfort and improved flexibility.
By practicing simple yoga poses or modifying more challenging ones, even people who live with the aid of a wheelchair can practice poses such as Eagle, Cat, Cow, and Side Stretch.
If you live with a physical disability, look for an instructor with experience in modifying common yoga poses. In some areas, you might find classes specifically designed for those with limitations. Called adaptive yoga, these classes can improve balance, increase flexibility, and relieve the stress that comes from living with a serious condition or injury.
Yoga is for those with attention disorders
If you or a loved one lives with a condition such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism, yoga can be an excellent complementary therapy. A study in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that children with attention disorders who practiced yoga reported more restful sleep and lower levels of anxiety. In addition, the children were able to focus more on school work and had fewer episodes of conflicts with others.
Yoga practice has another influence on children attention disorders—it helps raise their self-esteem. Because yoga is not a team sport, students are not judged against each other. As a result, if a child has trouble holding a particular pose, he or she will not be asked to sit out the class. This increases confidence and poise, two qualities that allow a child be successful in school and in life.
Yoga is for the stressed out
Stress is that ubiquitous condition that strikes everyone from the cafeteria waitress to the company executive. Research supports yoga’s role as a stress-buster. A 2005 Indian study found that participants reported lower stress, anxiety and depression after yoga. Another study, published in 2004 in the Journal of Alternative of Complementary Medicine, found that yoga sessions increase the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for an improved sense of well being.
Pranayama, or breathing exercises, are an important anxiety-relieving part of yoga. These deep-breathing exercises lower cortisol, a hormone that causes stress-related problems, such as muscle tension and increased blood pressure.
Yoga is for you
Yoga is not longer relegated to the world of crystal stones and dream catchers. It’s increasingly considered an effective and mainstream therapy for everyone from the overscheduled, harried mom to a senior debilitated by arthritis.
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