Usually, as people reach the age of 50, they start facing a lot of health problems due to lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle and lack of calcium and other nutrients. But to prevent as well as combat these problems, experts advise the regular practice of yoga and a nutritious diet.
An Indore-based Yoga Instructor, Madhu Verma says that regular yoga helps in improving the physical and mental health of people of all ages. And in older ages, yoga can help to a great extent in improving bone as well as digestive health, provided yoga is practiced under the supervision of an expert. But not just yoga, it is important that a balanced and nutritious diet is taken to fulfill all the nutritional requirements of the body.
Therefore, here are some yoga asanas (poses) as suggested by our expert that can be practiced to get rid of backaches as well as digestive problems.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Paschimottanasana helps in relieving gas and constipation and also reduces belly fat. Elderly people can do this asana easily without stressing the body.
- Sit on the floor with your legs together stretched straight in front of you and your spine erect
- Inhale and raise your arms over your head and bend forward as you slowly breathe out.
- Try to hold your toes, but Do Not force yourself too much. Go as far as you can.
- Now breathe in and come up and repeat it again twice or thrice.
- Now bend forward and hold the position for 20-60 seconds, while breathing deeply and come back to the normal position.
Butterfly Pose (Badhakonasana)
This asana can prove to be very beneficial for the elderly, as it helps in making their body flexible and active and also strengthens their digestive system. Also, it stretches the thigh and knee muscles and helps in relieving joint pain.
- Sit down with your legs straight in front and your spine erect.
- Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your pelvis. Join your heels and spread your knees to your sides and hold your feet with your hands.
- Now inhale and move your knees upwards and downwards as you exhale. Repeat it 15-20 times, then straighten your legs in front and relax.
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
This asana helps in keeping the blood pressure normal along with alleviating common problems related to hip and other pain.
- Stand with your feet apart and turn your right foot out 90 degrees and left foot a little inside.
- Now inhale and open your arms straight and while exhaling, bend sideways towards your right foot, touching it with your right hand and left hand up in the air.
- Turn your face up and see your left arm and hold the pose for some time, while breathing deeply.
- Now Come up as you inhale, straighten your feet, bring your arms down and repeat the same on the other side.
Standing Spinal Twist (Kati Chakrasana)
With age, old people begin to slightly lean forward. This asana helps in keeping our body straight. It also provides relief in the waist, knees and muscle pain.
- To do this asana, first of all, open your legs a little and stand comfortably.
- Keep your hands in line with your shoulder and stretch them forward.
- Now, take a long and deep breath and as you exhale, twist your waist to the right as much as you can and tilt the head towards the right shoulder.
- As you inhale, come to the previous position and then repeat this process on the other side in the same way.
Monkey Spinal Twist (Markatasana)
It eases back pain and relieves tension felt in the spinal cord and the muscles
- Lie down straight on your back on the floor.
- Now slowly bend your knees and bring your ankles as close to the buttocks as possible. Remember that both your knees and ankles should be joined.
- Stretch both your hands on the sides and rest them on the floor.
- Now as you breathe in, slowly drop both your joined legs to the right side and turn your neck in the opposite direction, i.e. towards the left.
- Lie in this position for a few seconds, come back to normal position and repeat it with the other side.
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