Chair yoga is a great way to get into yoga if you have limited range of motion. If you have a mobility condition, or if you are dealing with a long-term injury, it can be surprising what you can do without leaving your chair. Chair yoga is ideal for building up strength and increasing your flexibility whilst also staying safe and stable.
First Steps
The first step is obvious: get a chair. It is best to use a chair with a back, no handles, and one that is flat on the ground to avoid movement.
We can all get very busy at times, and it is very important to fit some movement into your day even if you’re sitting on a chair. You can adapt the posture, breathing, and meditation aspects of yoga into your day. Even a short session of chair yoga can help reel in the benefits for your body, such as boosting circulation.
Chair yoga is great for all ages but could be ideal for those aged 65 and up. To get started, one of the first steps is to make it is safe for you to try this exercise. Any new fitness regime should be run by your doctor first to ensure it won’t antagonise any health conditions. If all is well, get yourself comfortable and make a start with breathing exercises.
Breathing Exercises
To get started with your chair yoga session, you should start with breathing exercises. They are a great way to relax your nervous system, helping you get ready for your yoga session, reducing stress and anxiety, helping you dissociate from any negativity. Furthermore, research proves that breathing exercises can boost your mood.
Breathing can also help improve your posture by pulling your shoulders back and encouraging you to sit up tall in your chair. Lots of introductions for chair yoga are available online for free such as on YouTube and other video platforms. These sessions could range from 7 minutes to an hour.
Starter Techniques
When getting started with chair yoga, the first exercises you attempt should be simple stretches. These will help to improve your flexibility and strength, preparing your body for other techniques. Your starting pose for most chair yoga sequences will be to sit with your legs together and back straight. From here, you can begin to perform your first stretches.
One technique is to place your hands together in front of your chest and then slowly raise them above your head. Roll your arms behind you, flattening your palms but keeping your hands close together. Push as far back as you can without it being painful, then roll your arms forward again, bending at the waist, and bringing your hands to your toes. Do this slowly, then sit up again. If you can, raise one leg toward your chest, resting your foot on the edge of the chair if necessary. Hold it for a breath then lower it again. Repeat with the other leg. For best results, you should repeat this stretch a few times to properly limber up.
Exercises can vary with chair yoga. There are many you can try when getting started. You can consider these poses from Verywellfit for inspiration or search for “chair yoga” on YouTube.
Why Try Chair Yoga?
Doing simple exercises is a great way to facilitate a sense of achievement by reaching a goal. You could aim to get through a whole program or just try to do a little more than you could before. With continued practice, you will soon see an improvement in your overall fitness.
There have been many positive comments about chair yoga. It improves strength, mobility, and leaves people with a better sense of wellbeing. It can also improve balance, which can help to prevent falls.
Chair yoga can also be a social experience. If you are not confident doing it alone, why not find some friends to join you. It’s something you can do together for free whilst enjoying a catch-up. Even 7 minutes of chair yoga a day could help your mobility and fitness.
For people who feel their lives have become mundane, chair yoga could add some diversity to your daily routine. This increase in activity could even boost your mental health.
So why not grab a chair and give it a try?
Peace of Mind from Careline365
By practicing chair yoga, you can decrease your chances of losing balance and experiencing a fall. However, at Careline365 we recognise that balance can get worse over time and accidents do happen.
We offer a range of products to support your safety around the home and when out and about. In an emergency, our alarms are activated at the press of a button. This sends an alert to our professional Care Team who arrange help by informing your emergency contacts.
To find out more about the Careline365 personal alarm service, read our detailed guide. If you have any questions, or to order your Careline365 alarm today, get in touch with our friendly team on 0808 304 4345.
