9 Amazing Ways Yoga Can Benefit Us In Midlife

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Yoga can benefit us in many ways especially, in midlife when menopause and age can take its toll.

When you get out of a chair and take a little time to straighten up, do you gasp a little as you do?

Sitting for long periods can lead to pain and stiffness in our joints as we get older.  

There is a way to experience the calm stillness and uplifting energy that comes with marrying the breath with the body and building a body that is flexible, strong and toned. Yoga can bring about life-changing benefits and will improve your overall health.

Yoga aligns the body and mind 

And brings harmony and balance to your lifestyle. 

Menopause and its related symptoms such as hot flashes can last for years. Practising yoga can help during this period to lower your stress levels and ease the transition.

It can also help you to develop coping skills and a more positive outlook. Remember to be careful about your expectations of how much you can add to your daily life routine. You don’t want this to become just another stressor.

If you have already practised yoga before menopause then you will already be familiar with the poses that will make a difference for you. If not you will still benefit from some of the more accessible poses.

Restorative and supportive poses

provide specific relief for women going through menopause.

Beware. Some forms of yoga, such as hot yoga, can actually make menopause symptoms worse.

A regular yoga practice can be transformative in so many ways. it’s never too late to take it up! 

Yoga can help reduce blood pressure, increase bone density and reduce anxiety. The earlier you start, the more of those sometimes tricky poses you’ll be able to accomplish. 

See this post for 5 Free Yoga Videos For Beginners

It is the perfect exercise for women over 40

as it will keep you in shape without putting unnecessary strain on joints and muscles. 

If you need more persuading, check out Tao Porchon-Lynch who is a young 101 years old and still able to sit in the lotus position after three hip replacements!

Poses such as plank will strengthen your arms, legs, shoulders and abs. You don’t have to be super flexible to practice many of the yoga poses. There are forms for all levels of ability.

Certain yoga poses target various areas of the body, while others help blood flow and detox internal organs, which can have a positive impact on how well you feel.

Alleviating Health Conditions

Safe yoga is perfect for improving postural habits, which can help alleviate chronic pain of sore joints and back issues.

A few minutes a day practising

Practicing yoga poses like warrior or downward-facing dog, will soon have you noticing a difference in your flexibility.

Yoga combines aspects of cardio, functional and strength training and can be done at your own pace, in your own home. 

If you usually prefer to practice your yoga at home it may be worthwhile participating in a Yoga class occasionally to make sure you’re doing your poses correctly and to learn new postures and sequences.

Bone health

Yoga is not age dependent and can be maintained well into your 80s or even 90s. Starting a yoga practice in your midlife is preferable to taking up running or some other form of exercise which creates stress in the body and mind.

However, it is important to do weight-bearing exercises for the prevention of osteoporosis which is associated with midlife and ageing.

Exercises that bear weight on the bones keep them strong.

Stress can cause an increase in acidity which is like a parasite eating away calcium from your bone. Yoga marries the body and breath allowing for stress relief and as it is a low-impact weight-bearing activity it is perfect for older women.

Yoga will give you improved function in all areas of your physical and mental life and it achieves that in a soft and gentle way that nurtures the body while reducing the potential for injury.

Practising it will help you to feel more centred and relaxed and better able to navigate the ups and downs of midlife.

This is associated with midlife and old age. Exercises that bear weight on the bones keep them strong. Stress can cause an increase in acidity which is like a parasite eating away calcium from your bone. Yoga fights off stress and is also a low-impact weight-bearing activity.

Yoga will give you better body function in all areas. It will do so in a soft and gentle way that nurtures the body while reducing the potential for injury. It is also great for the mind. You’ll feel more centred and relaxed and able to better navigate the ebb and flow of the common midlife issues.

Here are 9 good reasons to practice yoga

• Improves flexibility, posture and strength
• Increases energy
• Reduces stress
• Improves breathing
• Helps with weight loss
• Improves mindfulness
• Promotes better sleeping
• Improves clarity
• Improves flexibility and balance

The many mental and physical ways yoga can benefit us are well known.

Including it in your routine can help enhance your health, increase strength and flexibility and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.

Finding the time to include a yoga practise into your day for even just for a few minutes may be enough to make a noticeable difference when it comes to your health.