Yoga is what you make of it: it can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be. This flexibility, to pardon the pun, is what makes yoga so suitable for seniors. You are never too old for yoga as it is something that you can adapt to your changing body; it helps to strengthen your core and muscles, bringing you to a level of fitness that many seniors desire.

With so many ailments like osteoporosis and high blood pressure eroding at the quality of life of many seniors, it is no wonder that they seek to avoid pain by avoiding exercise. That is where yoga comes in: it is a low-impact alternative that can get your heart pumping, increase your joint flexibility and improve your quality of life immensely.

Here are 5 reasons why yoga is great for seniors, showing you that yoga isn’t just a fad for twenty-somethings.

1. Rejuvenate your joints

One of the most bothersome problems of advancing age for many are the stiffening joints, either coming about naturally from old age or from a condition such as arthritis. The best way to rejuvenate your joints is exercise, but as this is often painful at first many seniors don’t try. This does them more harm than good, leading to worse joints and worse pain.

As yoga is a low impact exercise, it is great for those who dread any form of movement because of joint-related pain. Slowly but surely, yoga can help loosen up your joints. This will help you become more mobile, helping you not just in your day-to-day life but also helping if you wish to branch out into other sports.

If you’re wondering what yoga poses are best for your joints, then you're in luck. A good piece of advice is to try to do movements such as sun salutations. They are much less tiresome for your joints than static poses.

2. Respect your natural limits, and expand them.

Yoga is all about respecting your body’s natural limits: it will only harm you if you push further into a pose than your body allows. If you are worried as a senior that yoga will be useless for you because you are no longer very supple, then don’t worry. Even if you can’t sink far into a stretch, just stretching as far as you can is good for your body. You never know: the next time you try you might be able to stretch just that bit further.

It is through this gradual process that you can become more supple and flexible, and your stronger muscles paired with your stronger joints are going to work wonders for your mobility.

3. Combat high blood pressure

Many seniors suffer from high blood pressure, yet a high number of these often struggle with doing regular exercise that can help control it. Yoga has been proven to help combat high blood pressure, which in turn reduces your risk of heart attacks and strokes. People often underestimate how much yoga can get their heart pumping despite being low impact. This means that your heart is getting a workout while the rest of your body is under very little pressure. This is a great combination for seniors.

4. Do it anywhere and everywhere

If mobility or cost is a problem for you, then the best part of yoga is that once you have nailed the basics, you can do it yourself - anywhere. Whether that means rolling out your yoga mat and doing it in your kitchen or getting some yoga gloves and doing it in the park. Either way you’re guaranteed to be able to do it at very little or no cost and on your own terms. It’s great for anyone, but it’s especially great for seniors who struggle with money and mobility.

5. Yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle

Yoga can work great as part of a healthy lifestyle because it actively encourages people to eat fresh food, live sustainably and generally be as healthy as possible. If you are looking for an exercise that fits well into your lifestyle, then yoga has no rival.

So that is it! if you’re a senior and you want to get just a bit more active, then take a look at yoga. It’s a great way to get in a bit of healthy exercise without straining your body too much. It could be just the key you need to turn back the clock and rejuvenate your life.

Guest post from David V. guest writer of Yogapaws, a yoga poses blog and equipment shop online.