10 chair yoga poses for older people

Have you heard of the benefits of chair yoga for older people? Perhaps you're not sure how to get started?

Here are 10 poses you can try for yourself at home.

You'll just need a stable chair with no arms. Be sure to place your chair on a flat surface somewhere you have room to extend your arms around you. It might be nice to choose a place with natural light and a pleasant view. 

• Your back should be straight and your shoulders above your hips. Keep your knees above your ankles, hip-width apart.  Brace your abdominal muscles. 
• Curve your shoulders inwards and gently slump forward to create the cow pose. Bring your shoulders back and lift your chest and chin to create the cat pose.  
• Allow your back to arch backward and forward only as much as you feel is comfortable.   
• Inhale with cat, exhale with cow. Allow the movement to direct your breath.  

• Begin with your back straight, sitting forward in your chair. Inhale and extend your arms slightly on either side of you, low and wide, palms facing down.  
• As you exhale, turn your palms to face behind you, allowing your shoulders to roll forwards. Keep your back as straight as you can.   
• Bend your elbows as your hands swing towards each other behind your back. Grasp your fingers, hands, wrists, or elbows with each hand and gently pull. Only pull as much as is comfortable. 
• If you have clasped one wrist or elbow and not both, remember which one. If you have clasped yourself with both hands, remember which side is on top. Balance the exercise by spending as many breaths here as you do on the other side.   

• For this pose, you can keep your hands by your side and grip your seat for stability. With a straight back and both feet comfortably on the floor, take a deep breath in. 
• As you let your breath out, slowly raise one leg by straightening at the knee.  
• You may alternate between pointing and flexing your foot. 
• When ready, let your leg lower as you inhale, until both feet are back on the floor.
• Do the same for the other leg.
• Stop the exercise if you feel pain in your knee.

• Keep your back straight. Raise your arms outward and meet your fingertips together in a triangle above your head.   
• You may find it difficult to bring your fingertips together. If so, you can opt for an arm raise with palms apart and facing each other.  
• Breathe in deeply as you raise your arms, and exhale slowly as you lower them again.   

• Once settled, your face should be turned towards the horizon over your right knee.
• Your quadriceps will be creating an L shape. 
• If you feel stable, raise your arms to point at the horizon in front and behind you, palms down. 
• Look out over the fingertips of your right hand.  
  
• You can brace yourself with your hands on the seat when you return to a normal sitting position.
• Balance your body by doing the same pose for the other side. 

• If you notice pain when trying this pose, use pillows on your lap as support. Use as many as you need to avoid pain. 
• Begin with a straight back. Allow your shoulders to relax with an exhale. 
• As you inhale, lengthen your spine. Imagine you are lifting the top of your head towards the ceiling.  
• From your hips, you can begin to lean forwards on the exhale. 
• Keep your back straight for as long as you comfortably can. 

If you want a more guided session, you can look for instructional videos online. Try one of the chair yoga lessons on Daily Yoga, a free healthy ageing mobile app. Or find a local group in your community to practice with.  

And once you’ve mastered these seated poses, you may want to advance the difficulty level. You may even want to try standing poses that include the chair as support. Always ask a professional when planning to advance your fitness practice. 

You might also want to check out these other exercises that can be done from the comfort of your own chair. And here are 10 more exercises to improve your balance.