This is how positive yoga affects body and mind in middle and old age
I have had an inner urge to move since I was a child. That's why I was particularly impressed by the sweaty, extremely strenuous forms of yoga. Today I see everything a little more relaxed and am more patient with myself. After literally torturing myself in my previous practice, I have now learned to listen to my body more. This also includes the important realization that you should never take your body for granted.
These are the positive aspects of getting older
Many people are put off by the idea of getting older because they associate it with loss, for example the loss of physical flexibility. However, getting older also brings with it incredibly good aspects: One beautiful phenomenon is the emergence of gratitude. I am grateful that yoga came into my life and that my body still enjoys forward and backward bends. That yoga always helps me to arrive at myself, in my body, to listen to its impulses. The better I succeed in doing this, the more I can enjoy getting older.
The older I get, the more I value my yoga practice. It's no longer about optimizing my body, but about freeing it. I also want to find physical limits, accept them, and embrace them with love. Yoga strengthens both my body and my zest for life. I enjoy good times, but I'm no longer thrown off course by challenges. Yoga teaches me to ride the wave. That makes many things more relaxed.
Why exercise is much more important for 50+ than rest
Once we're over 50, many of us become true anti-aging artists, with dozens of different jars in the bathroom cabinet, among other things. But the really bad consequences of getting older are not in our appearance, but in the way we move.
It usually starts around the age of fifty: the tone of the muscles noticeably decreases, the first signs of wear and tear and/or arthrosis become noticeable. The good news: with functional 50+ yoga training, many of these things could be avoided. The bad news: many people avoid doing exactly that because they are afraid of putting additional strain on their joints. However, this assumption is not correct - in fact the exact opposite. Functional exercise HELPS. On the one hand, it has a positive effect on the metabolism in the tissue and thus on the joint cartilage. On the other hand, the exercise strengthens the muscles, which ensures more stability and relief in the joints. Since yoga is a combination of stretching, mobilization and strengthening and at the same time trains our body awareness, regular yoga practice is highly recommended.
With the yoga videos on my YouTube channel, I want to encourage middle-aged people in particular to start doing yoga. It is important to me to offer the postures in a way that is easy on the joints. No one should contort themselves or put themselves under pressure. It is about experiencing the asanas with a loving look and a patient attitude towards yourself. We want to move our bodies with joy, bring ourselves into balance on all levels and find more and more contact with our center. With mindful, regular practice, many people will be amazed at what is still possible for fifty plus! The fact that we get older cannot be changed, but we can change whether we feel old.
These are my 7 favorite yoga exercises for 50+
#1 Yoga exercise for 50+: Meridian stretching exercise
Get into a cross-legged position that is comfortable for you. You can sit slightly higher on a cushion or the edge of a folded blanket. Put your right hand on your left knee and your left hand on your right knee. Now bend forward as far as feels comfortable for you. Let your head hang relaxed and your shoulder blades fall apart. Feel the stretch in your back and the outside of your buttocks.
Stay here for a few deep breaths and relax more and more. Then slowly roll up, vertebra by vertebra, and feel.
#2 Yoga exercise for 50+: Strengthening the core
Lie on your back and bring your knees over your hips so that your legs form a right angle. Now reach behind your knees and use the strength of your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders and head off the floor. Then bring your left hand to the back of your head and your right hand to your right knee. Make sure that your head remains in line with your cervical spine and rests completely relaxed in your left hand. Press your sacrum, lower back and lower rib cage firmly into your mat. Breathe in.
As you exhale, stretch your left leg out in front of you and as you inhale, consciously bring it back again. Move in this way as slowly as possible for a few breaths.
Then, relax and pull both knees towards your chest and enjoy the stretch in your lower back.
Now repeat the exercise on the other side.
#3 Yoga exercise for 50+: Strengthening the back muscles and stretching the shoulder muscles
Get into a quadruped position: your wrists are under your shoulders, your knees are vertically under your hips. Your fingers are spread wide. If you have sensitive knees, place a towel or blanket under your left knee. As you breathe in, stretch your right leg back at hip height and your left arm far forward. Stay here and breathe. Now bend your right leg and grab your right ankle with your left hand. To do this, activate your abdominal muscles and pull your navel towards your spine. Then roll your left shoulder back, tense your foot in your hand to raise your shoulder even higher.
Stay here for 2-3 breaths. Then look down, inhale and stretch your arm and leg out, and exhale and place your hand and knee on the floor.
Repeat the exercise on the other side.
#4 Yoga exercise for 50+: Deep lunge
You can start the deep lunge from a quadrupedal position or from a downward dog position. Place your right foot forward between your supporting hands and make sure that your right knee is aligned vertically above your right ankle. If you have sensitive knees, place a towel or blanket under your left knee. Then place your hands on your right thigh. As you breathe in, straighten your upper body and raise your pubic bone so that your pelvis can straighten up properly. The shoulders pull your back down. As you breathe out, allow your pelvis to sink forward very heavily until you feel a stretch in your left thigh.
Then raise your left arm up and stretch it out and come into a small backbend. Hold your left hand as if you were carrying a tray. Raise your heart and lower your chin. The neck remains relaxed and does not bend. Stay here for 3-5 breaths. With each inhalation strive for length and with each exhalation settle yourself stably into your pelvis.
With the last exhalation, release your left hand to the floor and repeat the exercise on the other side.
#5 Yoga exercise for 50+: The shoulder bridge
Place your feet hip-width apart on the floor near the ischial tuberosities so that you can touch your heels with your fingers. Make sure that your toes and knees are pointing straight forward. As you breathe in, press your feet into the floor and lift your pelvis off the floor as slowly as possible. Either let your arms lie on the floor next to your body or interlace your fingers under your back. Pull your shoulder blades towards each other and slide onto the outsides of your upper arms.
With each inhalation, breathe up into the upper chest area. As you exhale, lift your pelvis a little higher toward the ceiling. Feel the muscle tension in your buttocks, lower back, and the back of your thighs. Stay here for three breaths.
As you exhale, slowly roll back to the floor, vertebra by vertebra.
Place your feet mat-width apart and let your knees fall together. Feel it.
#6 Yoga exercise for 50+: Stretching the back of the thigh
Lie on your back and pull both knees towards your chest. Then place your left foot on the floor and gently stretch your right leg upwards. Hold your leg either by the back of your thigh, your calf or your ankle without lifting your shoulders from the floor. Pull the toes up and push the heel towards the ceiling. Slightly tighten your stomach and press your lower back and sacrum firmly into the floor. Optionally, you can also stretch your left leg out on the floor. Feel the stretch in the back of your right leg. Stay for a few deep breaths and let your breath flow calmly and evenly.
Then repeat the exercise on the other side.
#7 Yoga exercise for 50+: The twisting seat
Sit down and stretch both legs straight out in front of you. Then place your right foot on the outside of your left knee. You can either stay like this and keep your left leg straight or - if your flexibility allows it and you want to make it more intense - bend your left leg so that your left foot is next to your right buttock. In both variations, the pelvis is facing forward.
Turn your upper body towards your raised leg. Depending on your flexibility, look to the side or slightly backwards. Place your right hand behind your back and your left arm on your right leg. With each inhalation, straighten your spine and with each exhalation, the rotation becomes more intense.
Stay for a few deep breaths and then repeat the exercise on the other side.
Combined with deep abdominal breathing, the exercise can promote the massage of the abdominal organs and thus support the digestive and cleansing aspect.
Angelika Pauw
Angelika Pauw has been active in the field of health, fitness and yoga for 35 years. As a certified yoga teacher, personal trainer and positive psychology consultant, she supports her yoga students of all ages and fitness levels. Angelika incorporates her experiences into her Pauwer Yoga (derived from her surname).
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