This year marked the beginning of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, the global call for action by the UN and WHO.
Being a yoga therapist in Germany in 2001, my clients were regularly reimbursed by health insurance, as prevention, for example, was highly regarded as one of the best cost-reducing and health-inducing methods. Yoga was recognised as helping with chronic pain, stroke recovery, addictions, obesity, diabetes, etc. I was so surprised to hear in 2019 in the UK that was not the case. I started making connections with the local GPs, social prescribers and public health officials, to promote benefits from yoga and meditation. Now it has all been put on hold, but we can still share our knowledge end experience to help those in need.
Health is crucial in how we experience the old age. Every fifth person in the UK is 60+ and two-thirds of them have two or more long-term health conditions. Treatments for these conditions accounted for 70 % of NHS expenditure. Anxiety, depression and social isolation, even before the pandemic, contributed and/or caused limited day-to-day activities for affected individuals.
There is an increasing number of studies on the positive effects of gentler forms of exercise, everything from lowering blood pressure and managing depression to building strength and improving balance. As we age we start losing our stability and fear of falling can become bigger than the wish to enjoy group interactions. But there are ways to minimize the chances of a dangerous fall.
Here is a simple exercise that if done regularly will maintain leg strength, balance, endurance, and coordination. It will also help you catch yourself if you should trip over preventing a fall.
You can do this exercise while brushing your teeth. Touching the sink in front of you, move the weight of your body on one foot and keep just the roots of the toes of the other foot on the floor. Only when you feel very stable, lift the foot off the floor, even if it's only half a centimeter. Do not lose contact with the sink. Alternate the legs.
For optimal results, you should spend a total of 60 seconds on one leg. So, if you can hold each side for 15 seconds, repeating it three more times would be ideal. If you can hold this pose for 20 seconds, two more repetitions would do the trick.
An ageing society is one of our greatest achievements and it deserves to be celebrated. Let us all join forces, even if we all need to balance on one leg while brushing our teeth and posing a wide bright smile for the centenary. Blowing out 100 candles should be a good exercise for the lungs.
Hmm, just got another idea. Imagine blowing out the candle five times and then relax. Repeat three times.
Congratulations, you got better breathing for life.
If you want to attend some online classes, tailored specifically for senior population, click here: https://happystance-yogatherapy.com/schedule-1
There is a daily class at 11 am for anyone with reduced mobility, but especially 60+.
See you online.
Happy Stance