By: Meaghan Orellana, Nutrition and Dietetics Student
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a mind-body practice that focuses on posture (poses), mobility, breathing control, concentration, and meditation. Yoga is as much a practice of mindfulness as it is of physical movement. There are many different styles of yoga that range in intensity from gentle movement to faster pace, allowing space for anyone of any age, experience or physical ability to find the right fit.
Supporting Mental Wellness
The combination of breath work and mindfulness during yoga practice calms the body and helps improve mental health. It allows you to focus your thoughts on the present moment. This slows the activity in the brain responsible for emotional reactivity, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
As we age, our brains start to shrink which can lead to declines in cognition. Research has identified beneficial changes and reduced shrinkage in the brain following the implementation of yoga practice. These changes were largely noted in the portion of the brain responsible for memory and learning and showed improvement in memory recall and information processing. This suggests yoga can be beneficial in preventing age related cognitive decline.
Sleep
The relaxation experienced during yoga practice calms the nervous system which improves quality of sleep. Practicing gentle yoga to unwind in the evening is a great way to slow down racing thoughts in our busy brains and prime our bodies for a restful sleep.
Set yourself up in a low-lit room with soft relaxing music and try some of these poses during your nighttime routine or check out the yoga and mobility classes at Coastal Fitness here!
Standing forward bend (uttanasana): From a standing position, bend your torso slowly forward in front of your legs. Your hands can rest on your elbows, shins, or the floor.
Reclined butterfly (supta baddha konasana): Lie on your back. Press the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall to the side. You can have your hands at your sides or above your head.
Legs up the wall (viparita karani): Lie on your back with your legs against a wall so that your body makes an “L.” Relax your arms at your sides.
Corpse pose (savasana): This is often the closing pose of yoga practices. Lie on the floor with your arms at your sides, palms up, and your legs straight.
Physical Wellness
Yoga is well known for improving flexibility, but it is also great for improving strength, balance, mobility, heart health, arthritis, and reducing body aches and pains. As you flow through different poses, you activate different muscle groups to keep you stabilized from falling over.
As we age, we can lose the ability to move as easily and may need to utilize objects around us to keep us stable. The practice of yoga is shown to significantly improve balance and strength in older adults thus reducing the risk of injury from falling. Whether you are trying to maintain your current mobility or trying to regain it back, yoga is an incredibly inclusive form of exercise for any level. Each movement has a wide range of modifications that can be tailored to your ability.
The full body relaxation we experience from yoga can help reduce whole body inflammation and improve blood flow. These contribute to better heart health, improvement of body aches and pains, and arthritis symptoms.
Whether you practice on your own, follow an online video, or join a class, regular yoga practice is great for overall mind-body wellness!
References:
Gothe, N. P., Khan, I., Hayes, J., Erlenbach, E., & Damoiseaux, J. S. (2019). Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. Brain plasticity (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 5(1), 105–122. https://doi.org/10.3233/BPL-190084
Ko, K. Y., Kwok, Z. C. M., & Chan, H. Y. (2023). Effects of yoga on physical and psychological health among community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of older people nursing, 18(5), e12562. https://doi.org/10.1111/opn.12562
9 benefits of yoga. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2024, June 20). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga
Yoga and sleep. Sleep Foundation. (2023, June 13). https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/yoga-and-sleep
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