Chair Yoga for Seniors: Increasing Flexibility

Do you find bending down and picking something up is more difficult than it used to be? Maybe you can bend down but it’s impossible to get back up. As the years pass, you might notice you’re not quite as flexible as you once were. 

Losing flexibility is as natural as grey hair when it comes to aging. Muscles and joints lose elasticity over time. As natural as aging is, countless people over 60 still dye their hair. And stiff muscles can be stretched out. If your tired old bones make it hard to bend, stretch, walk, sit, or stand, chair yoga can help.

Why Staying Flexible is So Important for Aging Adults

Just like a classic car requires maintenance to keep running its best, the body requires maintenance to stay supple. Being flexible and overall well-being go hand in hand. Flexibility isn’t only about being able to touch your toes. It impacts your quality of life and the countless little things you do daily.

It’s no secret that being stiff makes it hard to move. Some older adults don’t even realize how much range of motion they’ve lost until things like getting dressed, showering, baking, and cooking become difficult. 

To stay independent as long as possible, consider flexibility your trusted ally. It reduces the risk of injury by improving balance and posture, meaning you’re much less likely to fall and break something when your body bends correctly.

Being flexible can help you breathe better. And some of the breathing techniques commonly practiced in yoga can help increase flexibility. It’s a two-way street. Integrating proper breathing techniques into your practice is fundamental for fine-tuning your flexibility.

Using Your Breath to Help Increase Flexibility

The breath serves as the bridge between the body and mind, facilitating movement and relaxation. When you breathe with each movement, you deepen your stretches and improve your flexibility more effectively.

When you come to your physical practice and perform the poses, remain aware of moving the body with your breath. Not only can it help with flexibility, but it will completely transform your practice. Remember, the breath is as much a part of yoga as the physical postures and a certain synchronicity occurs when breath and movement merge.

When you inhale, focus on lengthening the body, which creates space within the muscles and joints. You can try it right now. Take a slow, deep breath in and lengthen up through the spine, expanding through the belly and chest. Visualize the breath softly filling the body, gently soothing any areas of tension. Notice how the body naturally expands and lifts.

When you exhale, relax the shoulders away from the ears. Feel a gentle wave of relaxation through the belly and spine, melting into the hips. Focus on relaxing the body to release tension while maintaining length in the spine.

When you focus on this steady, rhythmic breath throughout your practice, each inhalation and exhalation is an opportunity to move deeper into your stretches. A little yoga goes a long way. Regularly connect with combining movement with breath and you’ll quickly see how flexible your body can be.

Chair Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility

Seated Cat-Cow

Seated Cat Cow (Marjaryasana) is traditionally done on all fours, with the palms and knees on the floor. Seated Cat-Cow is an accessible adaptation of this pose that significantly increases spine, neck, and shoulder flexibility. It’s also beneficial for stretching the hips, chest, abdomen, and back. Practicing this pose regularly will help release unnecessary tension, relieve back pain, improve posture, and keep you supple and strong.

Instructions

• Sit facing forward towards the front of the chair so your back isn’t resting on the backrest.
• Ensure proper alignment by placing the feet flat on the ground hip-width apart, knees over the ankles, with your toes facing forward.
• Rest your hands on your knees and inhale, lengthening up through the spine, and take a couple of centering breaths.
• Inhale and curve the spine, pushing the belly and chest forward and tilting back the head for Cow pose.
• Exhale and round through the spine, arching your back and tucking the chin into the chest for Cat pose.
• Continue for 5-10 breaths, staying mindful of moving the body with the breath.

Seated Spinal Twist

Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) offers a gentle approach to increasing flexibility in the spine and improving mobility. It’s an excellent pose for soothing pain in the lower back and hips with its ability to help soften age-related stiffness. Regular practice of Seated Spinal Twist can keep your spine strong and your posture straight.

Instructions

• Position the body so you sit sideways in the chair facing right. The right side of the body will be against the chairback.
• Make sure you’re properly aligned by ensuring the feet are about hip-width apart and the knees are directly over the ankles.
• Rest your right arm on the top of the chairback. If this isn’t possible, you can rest the right hand on your right knee or thigh.
• Place your left hand on the right knee or hold on to the right side of the chair back. Inhale and straighten up through the spine. Exhale slowly and gently twist the body to the right, looking over the right shoulder.
• Hold for 4 deep breaths, ensuring the spine stays straight and the breath remains soft and steady.
• After your final exhalation, inhale slowly and return to center.
• Repeat 2-3 times.
• Turn the body to the left side of the chair and repeat the pose on the other side.

Seated Forward Fold

Performing Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) in a chair helps increase hamstring, hip, and lower back flexibility. It’s great for releasing tension in the spine, which can help reduce stiffness and improve mobility. Regular practice of Seated Forward Fold can make doing everyday things much easier, significantly improving your quality of life.

Instructions

• Start in seated mountain pose, ensuring the entire body is engaged. Take a couple of centering breaths here.
• On your next exhalation, hinge forward from the hips, bringing the front of your body towards the thighs.
• Allow the arms to dangle loosely at your sides or, if you can reach the floor, rest your hands or fingertips on the floor. Look down at your thighs or the floor, releasing the head so the neck is neutral.
• Take 4 slow, deep breaths. Feel the side body and rib cage expand as you inhale and notice how the body naturally relaxes a bit deeper as you exhale.
• After your final exhalation, inhale slowly and return to a seated position.
• Repeat 2-3 times.

Chair Seated Half-Pigeon Pose

Seated Half-Pigeon Pose (Ardha Kapotasana) is famous for increasing flexibility in tight hips. The pose also gives the glutes and hamstrings a good stretch. Practice Seated Half-Pigeon regularly and you’ll notice moving becomes a lot easier and more fluid thanks to its ability to reduce stiffness in these areas that tend to get tighter over time and from sitting for prolonged periods.

Instructions

• Start seated in the chair with feet hip-width apart and ankles directly under the knees, take a couple of slow, centering breaths.
• Inhale and straighten the right knee, flexing the feet so the toes point towards the ceiling. Exhale and bend the knee, bringing the right foot back down the floor. Repeat 2-3 more times.
• Place your right ankle on your left knee or thigh. The left hand should be on the left knee and the right hand on the right knee.
• Inhale slowly and straighten up through the spine. Exhale slowly and press the right knee towards the floor with the right hand. You should feel the stretch radiating in your right hip, hamstring, and glute muscles.
• Take 4-6 slow, deep breaths, breathing through any discomfort that might come up.
• After your final exhale, inhale slowly and return to a seated position. Release your right leg from the left knee and place your right foot on the floor.
• Take a few slow breaths before repeating on the other side of the body.

Seated Low Lunge

Like Seated Half-Pigeon, Seated Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) is a perfect pose for increasing flexibility in tight hips. It also targets the thighs and hamstrings, ultimately helping to reduce overall stiffness in the lower body while improving posture, balance, and overall mobility.

Instructions

• Turn your body to face the right side of the chair, feet hip-width apart, knees over the ankles. Position the body so the buttocks are towards the back of the chair, so the seat supports both thighs.
• Slide the left leg straight back behind the body, lifting up the left heel so only the balls and toes of the left foot are connected to the floor.
• Press firmly into the front foot, grounding your energy into the floor while pressing into the ball of the back foot to ensure stability.
• Take a couple of centering breaths before inhaling slowly and sweeping up the arms into Seated Upward Salute.
• Take 4 slow, deep breaths. Ensure that the feet stay firmly pressed into the floor and you maintain length through the spine.
• After your final exhalation, lower your arms slowly, carefully slide the left foot forward, and return to a neutral seated position.
• Turn the body to the left side of the chair and repeat on the other side of the body.

Seated Extended Side Angle

Seated side angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana) is traditionally a standing pose that involves keeping one knee at a right angle while the opposite arm stretches over the ear. It deeply stretches the torso, side body, hips, and intercostal muscles, improving flexibility by reducing stiffness in the waist, lower back, and hips. Regular practice of Extended Side Angle is excellent for maintaining fluidity in everyday movements.

Instructions

• Start in Seated Low Lunge facing right. Slightly turn the hips towards the front of the chair, bringing the back foot to about a 45-degree angle.
• Bend the body to the right and place your right elbow on your right knee. Bring the left arm up over the left ear, left fingertips reaching towards the right.
• Turn your head to the left, gazing up at the ceiling.
• Take 4 deep breaths. Remain aware of lengthening and expanding on the in-breath and moving a touch deeper into the stretch on the out-breath.
• Repeat on the other side of the body.

Seated Eagle

Seated Eagle Pose (Garudasana) offers dual flexibility benefits. It stretches both the upper and lower body, targeting the hips, upper back, and shoulders. Practice Eagle Pose regularly and you’ll notice yourself becoming more limber. It’s also a fantastic pose for increasing awareness, focus, and concentration.

Instructions

• Start in a comfortable seated position, ensuring correct alignment. Take a couple of centering breaths, focusing on lengthening the spine on your inhale and releasing any tension on your exhale.
• Cross your right leg over the left and wrap the front of the right ankle around the back of the lower left calf. Don’t worry if you can’t wrap your foot all the way around, just meet yourself where you’re at. Press down onto the floor firmly with your left foot.
• Inhale and bring the arms into Seated Upward Salute. Exhale into Cactus Arms, bending the elbows and opening through the chest.
• Bring your arms together, crossing the right elbow over the inside of the left arm, turning your hands to bring the palms together.
• Take 2-3 slow, deep breaths.
• Inhale and raise the fingertips a tad towards the ceiling, slightly deepening the stretch. Take a couple of breaths before releasing the arms, uncrossing the legs, and returning to Easy Pose.
• Repeat on the other side of the body, crossing the left leg over the right and hooking the left elbow into the inside of the right arm.