At a recent class at the Marlene Meyerson JCC on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, three yoga friends, Marian Rivman, Harriet Luria, and Carol Leister, gathered to practice chair yoga. The trio, all in their 60s and 70s, had been doing yoga for decades, but now they were exploring the benefits of chair yoga, a practice that adapts traditional yoga poses for older people and those with physical challenges.
- Chair yoga is not just for older people
- Desk workers can squeeze in 15 minutes of chair yoga
- People recovering from surgery or injuries can benefit from chair yoga
The three yoga friends were among the many who have discovered the benefits of chair yoga. Rivman, who is pushing 80, said, “You’re stretching your whole body. What you can do in the chair is a little bit more forgiving on the knees and on the hips. So as you age, it allows you to get into positions that you were doing before without hurting yourself.”
“I took it up because I have osteoporosis and the chair yoga is much easier,” said Luria. “You don’t have to worry as much about falling and breaking anything. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be, but it’s not easy. And you really do use your muscles. It’s an excellent workout.”
Chair yoga is not just for older people, and its benefits extend to people of all ages and abilities. Desk workers can squeeze in 15 minutes of chair yoga, and many companies offer it as a way to cut down on stress and improve overall health. People recovering from surgery or injuries may not be ready to get down on a yoga mat, but they can stretch in a chair.
| Benefits of Chair Yoga | Description |
|---|---|
| Improved flexibility | Chair yoga can help improve flexibility by stretching the muscles and tendons in the body. |
| Strength | Chair yoga can also help build strength, particularly in the arms and legs. |
| Balance | Chair yoga can help improve balance by challenging the body to maintain equilibrium in different positions. |
| Emotional well-being | Chair yoga can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being, reducing stress and anxiety. |
The practice of chair yoga can also help improve posture for people of all ages and abilities, and help older people prevent falls. According to their instructor, Whitney Chapman, “Chair yoga is not just for older people, but it can be helpful for anyone who needs a little extra support or flexibility.”
As the three yoga friends continued to practice chair yoga, they shared their experiences and insights.
“I’ve been looking for all different kinds of exercises to do and this is one of them,” said Leister, who recently retired. “This is the one that I could see doing for the rest of my life, where some that are a little more strenuous I may not be able to do in the future.”
Traditional yoga originated more than 5,000 years ago in India, and many of the poses used today are also that old. The precise movements are tied to deliberate, cleansing breathwork.
Yoga by the numbers, including chair yoga
The practice of yoga, including chair yoga, has been on the rise in the U.S. over the last 20 years. In 2022, the percentage of adults age 18 and older who practiced yoga in the past 12 months was 16.9%, with percentages highest among women ages 18–44, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Women are more than twice as likely as men to practice yoga, the data showed. The percentage of adults who practiced yoga to treat or manage pain decreased with increasing family income.
The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older focus on activities that improve balance and strength, which can be achieved through various exercises, including chair yoga.
Chapman and her students have thoughts on why more men don’t practice yoga. Traditionally, Chapman said, the practice was reserved for men, but as yoga became more westernized, women took over.
“Women tend to be more group-oriented,” said Chapman. “I would love to see more men in class. I do have a few. I don’t know if they’re intimidated, but you know, it’s a great way to meet women if everybody’s single.”
Luria theorized that fewer men are drawn to yoga because it’s not a competitive sport.
“You’re really working at your own level,” said Luria. “Take out the competition and it’s not their thing.”
These chair yoga practitioners have lots of advice. Rivman summed it up best: “Get into a chair and do some yoga. You don’t have to stand on your head, but you have to move.
