Aside from being a great way to find and maintain positivity every day, practicing yoga has several benefits for adults ranging from flexibility to healthier bones to reduced stress. If you’re new to yoga, it’s best to start slowly to avoid strain or injury.
Check out the benefits of these low-impact yoga poses you can try right now:
1. Dandasana – Staff Pose (shown above)
If you’ve been struggling with poor posture while nursing aches and pains, trying Dandasana may provide some relief! Yoga Journal provides a step-by-step breakdown of the Staff Pose, but the basics are this:
Find a wall to use for an alignment check. Sit with your back pressed against the wall while keeping your legs together and extended in front of you. Flex your toes toward yourself, then lengthen your body so that your torso is perpendicular to the floor. Take long, deep breaths in this pose for at least a minute.
2. Utkatasana – Chair Pose
Movement and exercise are important for maintaining health, and Utkatasana—or Chair Pose—is great cardio as this low-impact pose increases your heart rate and respiration rate. According to Health Me Up, adding Utkatasana to your yoga practice can also improve posture.
To start, stand with your feet together, planted firmly in the ground. Lift your arms up as high as feels comfortable (aim for over your head if possible), with your palms facing each other, as you take a deep inhale. Exhale and bend your knees to draw your tailbone down to the floor, without losing your balance. Your torso and the tops of your thighs should form a right angle.
3. Adho Muhka Svanasana – Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Down dog is the most basic and widely known yoga pose. Although the pose is simple – it looks like an upside-down V – you are engaging every part of your body in this back and shoulder-strengthening pose. In addition, hands, wrists, hamstrings, calves and even Achilles tendons are strengthened as you firmly plant the palms of your hands into the ground.
Push down on the ground with your toes so your heels are slightly lifted while keeping your shoulders and neck engaged so that you’re not sinking into this pose. The key is to find a balance between the upper and lower body so there is not too much tension in any one area.
Once you get these poses down, start exploring your area for beginner yoga classes that will introduce you to a more formal practice to learn how these and other poses flow together. Enjoy your newfound center!
Always consult your doctor before changing your diet or starting a new exercise regimen. The Hartford does not endorse or have any association with the products and/or services referenced.
Have you tried any of these poses, or do you have another one not listed that you swear by? Let us know in the comments!
View Comments (10)
This yoga exercises are wonderful. Add more...Seniors can do these without hurting so they are good for any age.
Re: utkatasana. What’s the point of a written description when the photo (and if fact, actual practice) are so clearly different? This woman’s body is no where near a right angle; not is it possible. Try it. You’ll fall over backwards.
Thanks for the feedback, Allen. While this photo definitely shows an experienced person doing a chair pose, the goal of the pose is to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible.
this is 4 yoga doubters. i started yoga at 25. to this day i still do salutations to the sun. this morning i played hand ball with younger men and won 2 out of 3 games . salutation is a simple 10-12 minute gig that anyone can learn and b more limber. u must read the yoga basics first. i am 70 years old and still very flexable
All very interesting. Im going to try and get flexible enough to move on to a class. But is there a way to print this info so I can use it as I get going?
Hi Phyllis, we are glad you liked our article! If you would like to print this out, please go to the top of the article and find the print symbol (next to the social media buttons). Be sure to check out our other yoga content for more poses to try! Best of luck.
I do chair yoga at my local YMCA. Now I can add these three poses to my workout. I'm 66 yrs old and yoga has helped increase my balance and strength.
That's great,Carol!
I’m pretty old and still and know that I need yoga but I am most hesitant to start because I am stiff and my balance is beginning to wane. These three exercises will get me going and when I’ve mastered them I’ll join a class and just maybe you will have changed a life.
I loved the articles. Great information and helpful suggestions!