Samatva Yoga

Tag: elderly

  • Yoga as a Social Project: Bringing Gentle Movement Where It’s Missing

    Yoga as a Social Project: Bringing Gentle Movement Where It’s Missing

    The gap

    Many community centres, neighbourhood houses (buurthuizen) and care settings already offer social activities such as coffee mornings, crafts or games. But few offer physical activity adapted to older adults or to people with mental health challenges. Regular fitness classes are often too demanding, too expensive or too far away for these groups.

    Why it matters

    Inactivity weakens the body and increases the risk of falls, and according to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity rises after the age of 60. At the same time, loneliness and isolation affect mental health: the WHO estimates that social isolation affects up to one in three older adults, and that people who feel lonely are twice as likely to develop depression. In the Netherlands, about one in ten people aged 15 and over feel strongly lonely, and around three in ten feel lonely to some degree (CBS).

    Movement in a group helps with both at the same time: the body gets stronger, and people meet each other.

    Two target groups

    • Older adults – keeping mobility, balance and independence in daily life.
    • People with mental health challenges – gentle movement and calm breathing can support wellbeing: they may help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and mood, and offer a safe, structured moment in the week.

    Yoga can support wellbeing, but it is not a therapy or a medical treatment. That is why this project always works alongside care workers and health professionals, never instead of them.

    The approach

    Instead of asking people to go somewhere new, the sessions come to places they already know and trust. The sessions are low-threshold:

    • small groups
    • chair-based
    • no experience needed
    • affordable
    • adapted to each person

    Working together

    The project aims to complement what community centres, care workers and health professionals already do, not to replace it. It fills a gap in the existing network, so that gentle movement becomes one more part of the support people already receive.

    Let’s work together

    Are you part of a community centre, a neighbourhood house, a care organisation or a support group, and would you like to offer gentle yoga to the people you work with? Read more on the For community centres page, or get in touch – I would be happy to talk about what could work for your group.

    Sources

  • Gentle Yoga for Stiff Joints and Aching Backs: How It Helps the Ageing Body

    Gentle Yoga for Stiff Joints and Aching Backs: How It Helps the Ageing Body

    What changes in the body as we age

    As we get older, muscles slowly lose strength and mass (sarcopenia), joints can become stiff or arthritic, bones may lose density (osteoporosis), and balance gets weaker, which raises the risk of falls.

    How gentle yoga helps

    Slow movement keeps joints mobile and helps circulate the fluid that nourishes cartilage. Holding positions builds muscle strength around the joints, and weight-bearing standing poses support the bones. Balance work trains the body’s sense of position, and calm breathing lowers stress, which can reduce how intensely pain is felt.

    Research suggests that yoga can modestly help with chronic low back pain and knee osteoarthritis, and can improve balance in older adults.

    Five chair-based exercises to try

    All of these can be done sitting on, or holding on to, a sturdy chair:

    • Seated cat-cow – mobility of the spine, eases back stiffness
    • Seated knee extensions – strengthens the thigh muscles that support the knees
    • Sit-to-stand from a chair – leg strength, independence in daily life
    • Heel raises holding the chair – calf strength and balance
    • Shoulder rolls and gentle neck stretches – relieves tension in the neck and shoulders

    Safety first

    Move slowly, never into pain, and breathe normally. People with osteoporosis should avoid deep forward bends and strong twists. If you have had a hip or knee replacement or a recent injury, check with your doctor or physiotherapist before you start.

    Come and try a class

    You don’t need to be flexible or sporty to start – just curious. Our gentle classes are built around chairs, support and a relaxed pace, so everyone can join in. Have a look at our classes or get in touch: we would love to welcome you.

    This article is for general information only and does not replace medical advice.