Community Update (9/1/25)

Wellness

Work (out) Hard, but Be Mellow: Simple Yoga    

By Joan M Smith                                                                                                                  I have often stressed the importance of exercise, to gain strength, flexibility, balance and general feeling of well-being. But in these very hot days, exercise can be a challenge. However, there is one that can have a big payoff for a short amount of time and effort; yoga. Not just any yoga, but chair yoga!

Being safe while exercising is so important as we age, fearing falls or sprains or general pain. So, finding a way that fits your body and your needs at your age and place is of the utmost import. I myself recently tried chair yoga (by zoom, on another Village site, led by someone close to my age), and must admit it was challenging but not at all super hard or impossible! I had my doubts, but kept returning weekly to my iPad and a chair.  It felt very rewarding, and my body felt much better after the 50 minutes. It helps that the instructor recognized that some moves are too challenging for some people, and she offered alternative moves as needed. There are some moves that require standing with your back to a wall—great for working on posture! And you always have your chair or other furniture at hand for needed support.

The AARP Bulletin (January/February 2025) ran an article with pictures titled “Easy Yoga for Stronger Bones”, that cited research showing how you can REBUILD bone mass with “these 5 simple moves” (AARP, Andrew J. Stillman). The researchers point out that exercise is so important especially after age 70 when bone loss increases. And while running, biking or even weight training may be beneficial, certain yoga poses involve “holding sustained pressure on the skeletal system” that significantly improves bone density in the spine and thigh bones and increase it in the hips; these three sites are most commonly fractured parts of the body.

Dr. Loren Fishman, medical director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York has conducted studies on yoga and bone mass. He advises that if you are at risk for bone loss (osteopenia or osteoporosis), you should get a DEXA bone scan to assess your bone density. (I have had several of these; there is no discomfort and it is non-invasive). This also gives you a baseline with which to track your progress as you do yoga.

He states that the five poses should take no more than 12 minutes to complete, working toward trying to stay in each pose for 40 to 60 seconds for optimal results.

I will here just list the poses; you can get a picture of each by googling the chair pose.  He starts with the Warrior2 pose, then the Tree pose, the Twisted Triangle pose, Standing twist2 pose and the Hand-to-Foot1 pose. Remember, each is done using a straight-back, armless hard chair (no wheels, please!!). Done slowly, with your back straight and head aligned, breathing rhythmically, with calm intent, these poses can be relaxing as well as hard work.

So, here is the challenge. With the approval of your health care provider, and perhaps after a DEXA scan you might try the Fab Five. Twelve minutes a day—what could be easier!!!