Chair Yoga

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No need to turn your body into a pretzel, to practice Yoga.

Any idea that Yoga is only for the fit, and young, is a complete myth. Anyone can practice Yoga, at any age, but not all Yoga styles are the same.

Many of us struggle, most of our lives, to find the optimum exercise routine, in order to stay in shape. As time goes by, we look for low-impact fitness solutions, due to excessive wear in our joints. It can't be helped that, joints will wear, as our bodies take a lifetime of stress, tumbles, and injuries.

Low-impact exercise philosophy works like this: No pain - No gain, slogans like that are definitely short-term thinking. When you consider longevity, you want to receive maximum benefits, of a health maintenance program, without abusing or unnecessarily wearing, any body parts out.

It is far better to intelligently exercise the body, than to work the body hard with risk of injury. To injure oneself, while exercising, is irony in its purest form. After all, isn't the purpose of exercise to improve or maintain your health?

Some of us can also blame genetics, for ailments, as certain body parts wear out faster within particular families. I have seen this, ?up close, and personal.? Within the knees of my own family, for generations, there have been knee problems. 

My mother, uncle, son, and I have all had knee problems, starting at a young age, and all of us are from the same direct bloodline. With my son, doctors told us he should have surgery on his knees, before he was 10 years of age. So, the one reason to try a Yoga class is because you have found a low-impact exercise solution. Chair Yoga will develop or maintain the body's circulation, flexibility and strength, with very low impact. It is a complete health maintenance exercise program.

However, there are a multitude of reasons why people attend Chair Yoga classes. Over the years, I have seen clients, who have had a huge variety of ailments, take Chair Yoga classes for physical rehabilitation, and to maintain their overall health.

There is also the social factor yoga is reflecting. It's good to get out of the house and socialize with friends and family members in a different setting. In fact, Chair Yoga is just one of many activities that take place in the average senior center. You can usually find dancing, Tai Chi, various exercise programs, crafts, card games, and many more activities, in the average senior center.

Back to Chair Yoga: It goes by a variety of different names and is sometimes mixed with other forms of exercise, within the same class, such as: weight resistance, low-impact aerobics, Chair Pilates, and Tai Chi.

Some of the many names associated with these classes are: Stretch, Stretch and Tone, Senior Yoga, Wellness, and Senior Fitness. As mentioned before these classes may contain a mixture of low-impact exercises from different origins.

There is also, another reason to start a Chair Yoga class. What if you suddenly found your mobility limited or were confined to a wheel chair? A common belief is that, Chair Yoga is only for seniors. As you already know, limited mobility has nothing to do with age, and can be a problem, at any point in life.

Every week, I teach Chair Yoga classes in nursing homes, physical rehabilitation units, and adult day care centers. These clients look forward to their Chair Yoga classes every week. The workouts in these classes are restricted to sitting in your chair, but the same mental and physical health benefits apply to all of us.

So, there is no excuse for staying away from a Chair Yoga class. Anybody, at any age, can join a friendly group of people who seek to gain the rewards of good health.

Chair Yoga is a gentle form of Yoga.

With so many types of yoga available, here is one that most of us can practice. Inversions and complicated maneuvers are not necessary in a Chair Yoga class. All it takes is the motivation to get started. Most Chair Yoga classes don't use a Yoga mat, but the main prop used is a chair. This helps with balancing poses, and most common Yoga postures can be modified for the chair.

We have one particular Chair Yoga class, in Pawtucket, RI, that uses both chairs and Yoga mats. Within this type of Yoga class, you can cover standing, seated, supine, and prone postures. Most of our classes use the chair only, due to the difficulty of getting up, or down, on the floor.

Chair Yoga sessions are most commonly seen in senior centers, assisted living complexes, nursing homes, adult day care centers, and physical rehabilitation units. Clients can learn any number of Yoga postures, breathing techniques, meditation, and stage-by-stage relaxation, with the aid of a chair.

Standing yoga postures, such as triangle and warrior variations, can be practiced seated, or standing, with the aid of a chair. You can practice Sun Salutations or Vinyasa, (flowing postures), from seated or standing positions. Contrary to popular opinion, Chair Yoga is not for seniors only. Most of us take our good health for granted. The physically handicapped have no age boundaries, and they are very enthusiastic students.

Due to trauma, or a debilitating disease, at any time, any one of us could become physically handicapped. Most of us drive cars every day, and there is always a risk of an auto accident.

Some younger family members of seniors, and the physically handicapped, get involved in classes and private sessions. When family members participate in a class, or private session, it is always a good quality time for everyone.

Chair Yoga teachers must continually educate themselves, be knowledgeable of body mechanics, use of props, and a variety of ailments. This field requires teachers with compassion and the patience to help those who are doing their personal best.

It is also a field with growth opportunities; as the population is aging, there are not enough Chair Yoga teachers to go around. Some estimates indicate there are 1.5 million, or more, Yoga practitioners, over the age of 55, within the United States. Therefore, the demand far outweighs the supply of Yoga teachers for this particular field.

Chair Yoga has become more popular in senior centers,

but can also be found in nursing homes, physical rehabilitation units, adult day care centers, and some Yoga studios. However, the vast majority of us will attend a Chair Yoga class in a senior center.

You should consult your family physician and get the go ahead, before starting any yoga exercise program. If possible, visit, or call the senior center, to find out about their policies and general guidelines. When it is your first class, it is a good idea to get into the front row, so you can clearly see and hear your Yoga teacher.

When you need extra advice, or have a particular health condition, you should talk to your teacher before, or after, the class. Your Yoga teacher will give advice and show modifications, throughout the class, but when you have questions that concern your safety and health, you should ask right away. This is not something that should be put on the back burner.

Within the senior center staff structure, there are volunteers, paid staff, and management. They are all extremely helpful. Seek help and you will find an abundance of it. If the business world ran like this, we would all be happy customers.

You don't have to bring any special equipment to a Chair Yoga class.

Most senior centers have more than enough chairs to accommodate everyone. Some Chair Yoga classes do use mats, as well as chairs, but this is more the exception than the rule. If the center uses mats, in part of the class, you will have to take your shoes off.

Most senior centers have hard floors with tile over cement. In this case, you should wear good sneakers, tennis shoes, or aerobic shoes. This will allow your shoes to grip the floor, to prevent potential slipping accidents. It also gives your feet and joints some cushion from the hard surface.

There is no need to buy special clothes. You should wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict your movement. Don't wear anything tight around the waist. This will bother your stomach during some of the bending or twisting movements.

You should never push or strain into a Yoga posture. This can cause a variety of injuries from very slight to serious. Therefore, stay in the comfort zone. No one really knows how your body feels, except you.

If the class is large, it will be held in a large room, like a dining hall. Expect some distractions, with people coming, and going, from different activities, within the senior center. This is not ideal for meditation, but the physical rewards, and new friends you gain, will make up for it.

Here is an option for Chair Yoga classes.

There are seated flows and standing flows from the back, or side, of the chair. The flow, which we know as Vinyasa, is synchronized breathing with movement. This brings to mind vigorous Yoga classes for young, energetic, and fit Yoga students.

However, Vinyasa can be gentle, too. If introduced correctly, Vinyasa Flows can be fun for students of all ages and most health conditions. The exception to this is extremely severe arthritis. Unfortunately, excess movement is not encouraged for this particular group.

Do not give medical advice, and explain to your students that you are a Yoga teacher, not a medical doctor. If one of your Chair Yoga students does not like their physicians advice, he or she has the right to seek a second medical opinion from a qualified physician, but do not give medical opinions.

Many physicians advise their patients, with severe arthritis, to stop exercise altogether. Constant friction, in the joints, without lubrication, is an existence of constant pain. This particular group would even be taxed in a gentle restorative style Yoga class or while performing isometrics.

So far, I have met a rare few, who have a severe level of arthritis, and they held postures for a long time with very little movement. That was all they could realistically endure, due to the level of pain they constantly live with. The fact that they try gives them mental comfort.

Again, in the above case, most physicians do not recommend any kind of exercise; however, Pranayama and meditation were a big relief. Vinyasa, of any sort, was out of the question. So, let's concentrate now on the 99% of your Chair Yoga students who are looking for a little stimulation in the form of Vinyasa Yoga.

Your Chair Yoga students can hold a posture for one complete breath. That is one full inhale and one full exhale, while holding a posture. This will be much less vigorous, but your Chair Yoga students will love it. This is not a race and is also mildly aerobic. The benefits are mentally uplifting, as well.