Aches and pains? Concerned about falling? Building your stability, mobility and flexibility on the yoga mat could be a good place to begin.
Thinking about adding stretching to your current active lifestyle?
It is a fact that adults who become active later in life often show greater physical and mental improvements than younger counterparts. If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, you won’t be encumbered by the same sports injuries that many regular exercisers experience in later life. See this link for more information.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/exercise-and-fitness-as-you-age.htm
According to the Canadian Pain Task Force, almost 8 million people of all ages live in pain. It is more common as we age. The estimate is that one in three people over 65 experience chronic pain.
Research is ongoing.
We do know that yoga works on a number of levels and on the connection between mind and body. When yoga techniques like movement and conscious breathing are practiced your heart rate may slow, your body may release fewer stress hormones and for most, the “relaxation response” is initiated. All positive things for the nervous systems.
We do know the strongest findings so far are for yoga and back pain. And recent research offers encouraging evidence that mind and body practices including yoga may help relieve some fibromyalgia symptoms.
It seems that yoga works like other exercises do. Regular, steady practice over time is the most likely way yoga will positively impact any aspect of wellbeing.
Keep in mind there is no one yoga for every body and it may not be a stand-alone solution for you. In a perfect world yoga could be one part of a broader pain management plan developed for you by a healthcare provider - a plan that is tailored to you.
Here are a couple links to current biomedical research findings on yoga and pain.
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