Teaching Yoga to Older Adults Jenny Loftus RN, BSN, LMT, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Teaching Yoga to Older Adults

Jenny Loftus RN, BSN, LMT, ERYT-500/YACEP www.jennyloftus.com

Attributes of aging

• Self acceptance
• Understanding life purpose

More freedom, less responsibility, more time and resources for pursuits of passion instead of obligation

• U curve of happiness

○ Bottom of the curve is midlife, happiness increases as we age

• Fruits of our labors over our lifetime are seen and felt, we reap what we sow
• Our Elders have much to teach us, much to contribute

Challenges of Aging

• Vision, hearing, mobility loss
• Changing body, mental acuity, lifestyle, energy levels
• Illness
• Impermanence, loss

Loneliness

Dr Vivek Murthy Surgeon general report 2017

• Describes loneliness as a public health crisis
• 43% of older adults report feeling lonely regularly
• 28% of seniors live alone
• Covid Isolation

Yogic Lifestyle Practices to support older adults

• Sanga~ positive social connections
• Breath work
• Restoratives
• Yoga Nidra
• Asana, learning modifications to respect changing needs
• Movement that bring joy and ease
• Yogic philosophy

Teaching Yoga to Older Adults

• Intimidating for older people to join a yoga class, esp. vinyasa
• Provide an aura of acceptance as the teacher
• Celebrate age diversity in your classes
• Get students to know each other, partner work
• Teach to the least common denominator of physical ability
• Give modifications
• Know how to use props to assist
• Give permission and guidance to stay in ROM, pace, comfort, effort

Continued...

• Slow down
• Good lighting and sound
• Position yourself for those who are hearing or visually impaired
• Speak slower, have pauses, repeat your cues (mental processing speed

changes with age)

• Give more time to warm up and for transitions

Balance challenges

• Balance challenges contribute to decreased mobility, increased fear, increase

potential for falls and injury

• Sensation changes in legs and feet, Diabetes, Peripheral Neuropathy
• History of Stroke
• Orthostatic Hypotension
• Vision Changes
• Vestibular system changes
• Medication side effects
• Arthritis, changes in joint function
• Decreased muscle strength

Teaching balance

• Encourage acceptance
• Challenge balance regularly
• Use the wall and props
• Slow down, mental focus and breath moment by moment
• Alignment of spine
• Yielding to know relationship with earth
• Increase stability and agility
• For orthostatic hypotension

○ Avoid constant up and down ○ Central line squeeze

Strengthen key muscle groups for balance:

• Transverse abdominus and Obliques
• Gluteus medius and minimus
• TFL
• Peroneals
• Feet

Osteoporosis

Loren Fishman MD 2016 Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation

• 12 yoga poses a day increased bone density in femurs, hips and vertebrae

Yoga for strong bones

• Weight bearing exercises
• Load on muscles increases load on bones, load on ligaments does not.

Build muscles, build bones.

• Hold Poses, ideally 20-60 seconds
• Calming effects of yoga decreases cortisol (cortisol breaks down bone)
• Weight bearing cardio~ walking, bouncing, jumping~ transfers shock

through bones to stimulate growth

• Body of vertebrae can “honeycomb” and weaken with osteoporosis

Osteoarthritis and other Joint problems

• Move within available ROM
• Change vectors of movement for increased ROM
• Skip or modify vinyasa flow
• Decrease repetitive movements
• Give time to seek alignment
• Modify and use props

Prop use for Osteoarthritis

• Blocks for knees against wall in lunges
• Blocks between thighs for chair pose and plank
• Low stable blocks under forearms to take load off wrists
• Wedge for wrists or weight bear on forearms
• Chairs for seated and standing poses

Hip Replacements

• Follow guidance of MD, PT
• Work within ROM, use props to support
• Pelvis above knees while seated, support under knees
• Allow pelvis to follow front leg in standing poses (healthier for SI joints as

well), lessen the depth of standing poses

• Move slowly, avoid constant up and down from floor
• First 8 weeks and then as tolerated:

○ Avoid deep hip flexion (past 90 degrees) ○ Avoid crossing legs (adduction)

Knee Replacements

• Follow guidance of MD, PT
• Flexion and Rotation are difficult post op
• Bolster behind knees for child’s pose
• Seated and standing postures in a chair
• Seated postures sitting on bolster, support under knees
• Offer modifications with thigh stretches, use straps
• Avoid knees on the floor, use a blanket under knee if tolerated
• Blocks against wall for lunges, decrease depth for standing poses
• Chair pose with pelvis against wall and/or block between thighs
• Move slowly, avoid up and down off floor

Cautions

• Twists

○ Seated twists have most pressure on vertebral bodies and discs ○ Supine twists are the safest

• Inversions, esp. Shoulder stand

○ Increases pressure on carotid arteries , contraindicated with Heart Disease ○ Increases intraocular pressure, contraindicated with HTN, Glaucoma ○ Inverting with weak esophageal and pyloric sphincters can exacerbate GERD ○ Increases weight bearing on cervical vertebrae, contraindicated with osteoporosis