Rachel & I doing yoga in a vineyard.
No matter your age, you should start doing yoga today. It has so many benefits which are sure to improve your life in lots of ways. It is also highly adaptable, which means that no matter your ability or age there is something you can do. And as time goes on you will get better, and the better you get, the better it will feel.
As you age, many health problems can start arising, common ailments are knees, hips, and backs. There are many medical treatments, but they have no guarantee and often cause problems further down the line. One example was spinal stimulator complications, a type of spine implant, which caused paralysis in some people. This is one extreme example, but aches and pains are common as we age, which is why yoga is a great, non-medical, solution.
Yoga with my friends on the beach.
Whilst any kind of physical activity is positive, yoga exercises every muscle and keeps you strong and flexible. Furthermore, because it is generally a lone activity, you can listen to your body and take your time, avoiding any injury. If you are wondering where to start then you could try yoga with Adriene, she has a fantastic range of videos that you can do from the comfort and privacy of your home. She takes things slowly and shows you adaptations of moves so that you can start in one position and slowly build your way up to a harder version. As you get better you will feel so good about yourself, you will have achieved something.
Not only is yoga a fantastic exercise that works every single muscle, but it also strengthens your body all over. When your joints have muscles to support them, they work better. It improves flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility. If you have any old injuries, then you may have to adapt certain yoga positions, but over time it should improve. Furthermore, it improves posture which will help any back pain. It also stretches all your muscles out. As a result of yoga, you may become more aware of your body. This comes with time, but it is such a powerful feeling when you begin to notice it.
Furthermore, it’s meditative. Yoga often includes short meditations and breathing techniques. This is so important for keeping our minds healthy. Even when we are asleep our brains are working hard to process information. We would never go a day and not rest our bodies and yet we forget to rest our minds often. Especially with access to so much stimulation such as phones and TVs. Taking the time to meditate will improve your overall health, quality of sleep and motivation.
Starting something new can be a frightening prospect, especially if you are getting older and don’t do any exercise. But exercise will help to keep you young in body and mind. Just learning anything new helps to exercise our minds and can prevent any degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. You can read about yoga preventing Alzheimer’s here. The more you do it the easier it will become. Don’t put yourself down if you miss a day or can’t do something. Over time you will come to love it and how it makes you feel.
