Yoga is one of the exercises that many people find relaxing. It doesn’t always feel like exercise, even though it works multiple muscles and parts of the body. If you are taking care of your elderly loved one, you might want to get them into doing yoga. There are many ways that this activity can help your elderly loved one.
Improving Bone Health
One of the main ways that yoga can benefit the elderly is by improving the health of their bones. Yoga is a gentle and slow practice. It is safe for all ages. Even if your elderly loved one has osteoporosis or another painful health condition, yoga can be a great exercise for them. In fact, yoga can help to relieve some of the symptoms associated with these issues.
Increasing Stability and Flexibility
Yoga can also help your elderly loved one by increasing their stability and flexibility. A lot of elderly people say it is more difficult to move around than it is used to be. This difficulty can also make it tougher for your elderly loved one to stay stable on their feet. If your elderly loved one is dealing with these issues, you and their elderly care providers should encourage them to practice yoga. After a few weeks, your elderly loved one will likely notice increased stability and flexibility.
Improving Sleep Quality
Another way that yoga can help your elderly loved one is by improving their sleep quality. There are many elderly people who can’t sleep well most nights. They may have trouble falling asleep. Some elderly people lay in bed for hours not being able to fall asleep. Other elderly people say they wake up multiple times throughout the night. If your or elderly care providers notice that your elderly loved one could use better sleep quality, encourage them to practice yoga. If your elderly loved one does yoga before bedtime, it can help to relieve pain, relax their body and mind, and help them fall into a deeper sleep.
Conclusion
There are so many ways that yoga can benefit the elderly. If you are taking care of your elderly loved one, you should encourage them to try out yoga. There are many basic yoga positions that your elderly loved one can begin with before working up to more complex positions. If your elderly loved one is unsure of this practice, talk to them about all the ways that it could benefit them.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6549603/
If you or an aging loved one is considering elderly care in Red Lodge, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
