Yoga - Anybody Do It?

::;raising my hand::::

If you are over 65 and have AARP as your supplemental, you can use hundreds of gyms and attend classes for free.
I'd check out 'gentle yoga' instructionals online first...then look for gentle yoga classes first in your area.....get a pass for unlimited for like a month and try several different teachers as well.
gentle yoga only...it's more about balance, breathing, concentration and focus.

soon enough, you'll be aching to get your om on daily!

Hi Dan,

I've been doing some yoga at home for the past few years. I'm in my mid-60's. I feel that it helps me deal with pain and stiffness from arthritis and aging. I also try to walk regularly for 30-40 minutes 4-5 times a week. I have a membership at a local Fitness club. Yoga classes are included with the membership. They also have a pool there. I've not been there in some time due to a bad shoulder but I plan on getting back into the groove soon.

At my age, missing regular exercise for a week or more and I really feel a difference. My recommendation is to start by trying out things that are affordable and fit your schedule and lifestyle. Then just build on that. Wishing you well with this.

Dave Gordon
http://dgportfolio.net

I used to do yoga with a DVD called Yoga for Inflexible People. I really need to start up again because it helps my back and my balance. I'm 50 right now, very soon to be 51.

65 here and do yoga every day.

You don't need to hire a personal trainer if you find a suitable class at the Y or somewhere with a qualified teacher. You would only need a personal trainer or special help with it if you have a specific chronic issue with joints or your back or something like that. I also do it to keep my osteoarthritis from stiffening me up. It's the only reason I can still walk around normally.

Yoga is great.

I apologize. My wording mislead. I'm not talking about a personal trainer, rather enrollment in a local class. However, even the prices for that seem steep. 'Course it would depend upon how many classes a month would be necessary.

Everybody mentions balance and that is one thing I could benefit from. I have high blood pressure and (did) have high cholesterol. My doctor stunned me recently when to the question "If you were to choose one thing to recommend - diet, medication, or exercise, which would be the best thing to lower blood pressure and cholesterol" and she answered "exercise."

I belonged to a good gym, but recently quit. They did not offer yoga anyway. I'm now trying to increase exercise at home, but absolutely everybody tells me to start yoga so I am in the decision making mode. I need more aerobic exercise. The stuff I do at home is with bands and other devices, and it strengthens greatly, but does not really elevate heart rates. I'm wondering if yoga will do that.

Thanks for your replies and help.

One Yoga coming up...

The initial expenditure you would pay to learn yoga is definitely worth the benefit. I've even seen free classes offered now and then.

Once you know how to do it properly, you can choose to continue on with the classes, or you can continue with your DVD, or you can make up your own little practice and do it in the privacy of your home.

Yoga is not difficult to learn. There's different levels and different types of yoga. Some are geared to the very inexperienced person, even those with chronic health problems. As your body becomes healthier and more balanced, you may want to go to the next level. Or you can stay with the level you are at indefinitely if you are comfortable there.

Personally, I do yoga every morning for thirty minutes in my bedroom before I eat breakfast. It has kept me young, flexible, and strong.

But even doing just five to ten minutes a day of yoga you will see a difference in how you feel, mentally and physically.

Once you become stronger, you may also want to progress to an aerobic type of yoga called "hot yoga." Or "ashtanga yoga."

Go for it!

Yoga is wonderful, I would recommend a gentle or hatha type yoga class to start if you've never tried a class before.
I personally would advise staying away from the hot/power/bikram styles to start out with as they are more intense in practice and some are put off by the intensity.
It really comes down to what you are looking for.
I have taken many different yoga classes over the years and each has it's own particular focus.
I have found that there's nothing better than a good teacher, especially if never taking a yoga class, and realizing it's all what you want to put into the practice.
Once you come to understand the basics, which is where a good teacher comes in, it is a practice that can be performed at home and completely free.
It's a wonderful gift to yourself.
Namaste

Yes!!! Love it! Dan check your local studios some offer free classes. My studio usually has 2 free ones a month. It is a good way to try it out. And as Marlene said try different teachers! It can be expensive but so worth it! Namaste

"Yoga", "stretching", "breathing", ... whatever you want to call it, .... just do it. Do it consistently. Do it regularly.

Marlene B. stated a level headed plan to begin doing it.

I would say, if you have never done it, then you can greatly benefit from the physical presence that a trained instructor could provide. You get some of this in videos, and I'd say look at some of those, ... but, as Marlene suggested, more along gentle or beginner lines. Do NOT try to do an advanced 20-something yoga workout - big mistake for any beginner, because it can discourage you, damage you, and derail you forever from the path of a conscientiously active lifestyle, which would be sad.

I say this, having been a fitness instructor for over twenty-five years, trained in dance, ... a fanatical swimmer, runner, handball player, martial arts dabbler, ... you name it, ... I tried it.

I moved in so many ways that the names of all the separate disciplines became irrelevant. Modern dance, ballet, yoga, martial arts .... all overlap to a degree. It's more about a mindset and an understanding of how the human body moves, breaths, and occupies space.

The expense of it? Well, theoretically, you could establish the pattern of doing it without any expense, as already suggested by somebody else. But even if you spend some $ to start it, and even if the instructor is not that good, still you are committing for real to STARTing it. Once you start, maybe you can sustain it without any further expense, if there were any expense at all.

I no longer go to gyms. I have not for many years now. I do everything on my own, ... not that much anymore, really, ... but what I do is done religiously, consistently and effectively. I would not go a day without doing it. Trust me, it will keep you alive longer and in a better state of being.

Consistent practice is the utmost important thing. Whatever you do, .... do it systematically and consistently. Find your body's patterns, realize them, and engage them willfully to sustain them.

A historical figure known in dance-education circles used to compare the spatial sphere of the human body's movement to a crystal, and he suggested that the lines of force and patterns of placement in this movement sphere were like molecular bonds in solid crystals. Over time, he surmised, these bonds would weaken, and the paths of motion or tension supporting the crystal's structure would atrophy, if you ignored them. I always liked this analogy, and I believe that it serves well as an educational metaphor and verbal cue to stay active.

I have been doing yoga for years and really enjoy it! I much prefer DVDs as it is less competitive Just find one that is appropriate for your fitness levelyou will be hard pressed to find an exercise that is more effective I started out with Hatha yoga but have advanced to the fire practice with Ganga white and Tracy Rich. This workout is very intense and uses the "flow method . Yoga works on concentration flexibility strength balance endurance and determination Edit. regarding heart rate Hatha yoga concentrates on slowing down heart rate ,breathing your mind etc. the flow practice is the one that incorporates a more aerobic workout as you literally flow from one posture to the other without stopping for the duration of the workout ...one of the goals is to synchronize breathing with the movements. It is much more intense and something to consider when you become more experienced. In meantime find an alternate for aerobic sctivity. Something you enjoy. Walking running swimming biking etc

I'm well over 50 (getting close to 70) and I love yoga. If you've never done it, you definitely want to start with a gentle or beginning yoga class, and it's good to try different instructors. If you can find a gym that includes yoga classes, you can do your cardiac workouts and get your yoga in, too. Personally, I do better with a gym that has yoga classes than I do just doing things on my own. Perhaps after some classes you'll be motivated and interested in doing it at home. As others have said, it's totally doable on your own. For me, I enjoy being with other people, and do better on a class schedule.

The benefits have been listed in the prior posts - definitely give it a try!

We're over 50 and both just took a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class - the class incorporates aspects of yoga. It wasn't cheap, but both my wife and I thought it was well worth it.

I concentrate on aerobic exercise because that is what is needed for a healthy heart and general good health. Yoga is more about stretching and other things. Stretching is important because it lengthens the muscles and prepares them for aerobic exercise. Tight muscles hinder endurance, stretched muscles makes for more enjoyable excercise. Stretching increases blood flow into areas that don't get as much normally, builds and lengthens muscles. I was able to erase broken blood vessels with stretching.

If you know someone who goes to the Y ask them to have you as their guest for free programs for friends which can last a month or so. You can then take advantage of the personal trainers that are always there and ask them questions. They gave me a worksheet on what kind of stretches to do before exercises which helped me to understand that it is a part of an exercise regimen.

I found out I don't like going to a gym. I ride my mountain bike regularly and need to walk also. My hypoglycemia has gone away for the most part unless I drink copious amounts of coffee.

First, thank you for your responses and help, but wow! The enthusiasm I am sensing in this thread is overwhelming! I am trying to convince my wife to start it with me, and I think this thread will help.

I already purchased two DVD. The first is Gentle Yoga - Strength, Balance, Flexibility with Jane Adams. The second is Discover Tai Chi with Scott Cole.

But the idea of attending a class as advised in this thread seems solid. That's what my doctor advised also. I'm thinking of attending classes to learn it correctly, then continuing at home with the DVDs. A once-a-month class for critique and as a refresher would be included.

My back would be the biggest consideration. I had a number of discs rupture (lower back). There was surgery (no fusion), but things have never been the same since. I am confident a good instructor will have had experience with the same.

I think I'll start exploring options tomorrow. The gym I left about a year ago was talking about starting yoga classes at the time - we'll see.

Again, thanks.

@Suzanne

" I ride my mountain bike regularly "

LOL. Ironically enough, this may be what caused my back to explode. I used to be an enthusiastic trail rider, even doing so during winter in sub-freezing temperatures. Jumping a creek or a fallen tree is one thing because it is a controlled jump. But the constant pounding of roots is another. I asked my neurosurgeon if the bike/roots is what caused the back injury. He would not commit himself, only to answer "It's quite possible." Be careful. Years and years of washboard roots will catch up with you. It did me.

There are lots of ways to get aerobic exercise that don't cost money. If you don't like to exercise, just walking regularly can be a good start.

I park a long way away from the store when I go shopping. It forces me to do a little extra walking across the parking lot. At the office, sometimes I stop to go up and down the stairs once or twice when I take a bathroom break - obviously I can't do that for a half hour at a time, or the boss would notice, but these little things add up.

When I was a kid, I regarded gym class as form of torture, so I try to find ways to exercise that don't make me feel as if I'm reliving elementary school gym class.

Oh, no! Yoga involves fashion? I have to buy yoga pants?

Sorry, ain't gonna happen. In all the years I rode the bike I never once wore bicycle shorts.

And you would have never caught me dead wearing one of those jerseys with sponsor emblems all over it.

(Sorry, don't mean to offend anybody but that's just not me!)

Dan, trust me, you will enjoy seeing the other students in their yoga pants. ;)

Thanks Jim for the warning, I mostly ride my bide on smooth surfaces. Do you take a calcium supplement?

50+ and I am doing yoga for a few years_ once a week in the yoga studio and few times per week at home. My job is 100% behind computer and hobbies also take a lot of time behind computer, so yoga is a great way to stretch all muscles and keep fit. Now idea about prices in the USA, but in Holland it cost about 12-15 Euros for 1.5 hour in the studio. Not really cheap, but if you have a good yoga teacher and nice group, it is worth of money.

I would agree with others that walking (or similar aerobic activity) is probably what your doctor would recommend to lower cholesterol.

Thanks, Jessica. I walk, treadmill and stationery bike. My last blood panel showed normal cholesterol levels, but I also take a statin.

Suzanne, no calcium any more. I'm not riding for now. No long details necessary, but the back surgery (years ago) took me off trails and onto greenways, a head injury (18 months ago) took me off the bike altogether.

Nancy! hahahahahahahahah
Dan,
I just came back from an Iyengar yoga class....I would suggest checking into it...it is more about precision and correct positioning of the body than anything else, developed by a yogi who broke his back and developed the exercises to strengthen his own body.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyengar_Yoga

Thanks, Marlene. I will.

Combat back problems with core strengthening. Maybe consider Pilates. Google it, if you 've never heard of it. There is a non-ballistic strategy for strengthening your abdominals, without traumatizing your back. Minimal movements, maximal tension, lots of reps. The abdominals are what balance and help stabilize the back muscles. Many times, it is the imbalance between the two that leads to injury and problems. Stretch the back, ... strengthen the abdominals.

Keep on walking. It is the most natural exercise there is.

And a word of insight to die hard aerobic exercise devotees ------ My experience is that after over thirty years of heart pumping aerobics, I eventually stopped such activities for various reasons. But I NEVER stopped my concentration on stretching, breathing, and balance exercises. What I discovered is that by merely walking regularly, stretching religiously, focusing on core strengthening, and minimal upper body strengthening exercises, my resting heart rate, still to this day, is seldom higher than 52 bpm, and on many days, it is below 50 bpm.

In other words, a lifetime of intense aerobic activity seems to somehow sustain some of its effects extremely long-term by just stretching and breathing religiously in later years. Yoga, ... when done correctly and consistently ... does more than most people think. It keeps the muscles more responsive to nerve impulses and more efficient in respiration, digestion, and overall metabolism. Oxygen is delivered more efficiently to the tissues. Waste products are transported more efficiently out of the body. Breathing is ordered in a better rhythm.

Thanks, Robert. A very good and usable write-up.

I was told by a PT that my hip flexors were unusually tight and was given three exercises to stretch them. That alone has reduced back problems by a huge amount.