Yoga is known for its ability to increase flexibility and alleviate stress, and has become a popular form of exercise for good reason. But what is the effect of a regular yoga practice on aging? How can an experienced yogi keep their practice meaningful and energetic as time advances? Put succinctly, is yoga the key to happy, healthy aging?
Science has begun to provide answers to these questions and more. According to research, the mindful practice of yoga can help even the most avid yogi age gracefully long into their golden years.
The Comprehensive Benefits of a Regular Yoga Practice
Though seasoned yogis know that they feel better after a yoga class, there are both obvious and hidden benefits of a regular yoga practice that can help keep the body and mind healthy over time.
Most obviously, the physical activity of most yoga classes can help individuals stay strong and limber long into their retirement years. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce stiffness in muscles and joints, increase bone density and muscle mass, help with weight maintenance, and as a result, help people feel strong and energized well into old age.
Beyond these obvious physical benefits, yoga offers a range of hidden benefits which can make all the difference when it comes to aging gracefully.
The emotional and psychological benefits of practicing yoga are both impressive and easily overlooked. Studies suggest that regular yoga practice can decrease stress, relieve depression and insomnia, improve several cognitive functions, and offer cheer to those struggling with age-related feelings of isolation.
Mindfulness and aging
In addition to the physical and emotional benefits of a regular yoga practice, benefits that allow those older in age to better manage day-to-day activities and handle the more extreme changes that aging can bring with more poise and grace, the practice of yoga helps individuals cultivate a sense of mindfulness.
Most simply put, mindfulness is the act of paying attention to the present moment. Many yoga practitioners find that during their practice, they become fully immersed in the present moment and can be more responsive as opposed to reactive.
This level of awareness can help older individuals age more reflectively, benefitting them in ways which may otherwise become lost on an individual who does not practice mindfulness. Studies suggest that the practice of mindfulness can help people experience a greater sense of satisfaction and joy in later life.
With a sense of appreciation for small moments, the individual becomes less susceptible to changing trends and societal pressures. Having a clear mind can also help the individual take life’s two steps forward and one step back gracefully, without the feeling that life is out of control or that progress is impossible.
Yoga and Detachment
Although a sense of acceptance is a key component to aging gracefully, it’s also important that older yogis be mindful of their attachments and expectations of how life should look. Being attached to certain ideals of health and fitness can create unhelpful expectations, particularly as individuals age and their bodies change.
The practice of yoga can help yogis become more emotionally removed from expectations of perfection and more compassionate towards themselves and those around them.
The physical, emotional and mental work in a yoga class can help individuals cultivate a sense of equanimity, detachment and inner peace, particularly as one ages and begins to notice some imperfections in comparison to production and capability from earlier years.
Yoga, Longevity, and Joy
Modern science suggests that, along with mindfulness and detachment, having a yoga practice can decrease inflammation and ultimately lead to better health.
Research has shown that regular practice can help individuals stay sharp and alert and decrease pain in everyday activities, making daily chores and errands that much more enjoyable.
Practicing yoga throughout life, particularly when beginning at an earlier age, can help individuals stay content and mobile throughout their life. Having this adaptability, or the ability to transition between poses and activities of varying difficulty, can help the body stay strong and flexible and the mind stay agile and responsive.
Conclusion
No matter what age one begins their yoga practice, the mindful study of yoga can bring a range of physical, psychological and emotional benefits to those of all ages. With benefits ranging from diminished age-related anxiety and an increase in energy to help manage aches, pains and stiffness, yoga can be an important part of aging gracefully and feeling energetic and healthy during the later years of life.
