GENTLE YOGA POSES TO TRY FOR AGING BODIES
For balance: Tree pose (vrkasana)
Shift your weight to your right foot and ground firmly into the floor. Bend your left knee and lide the sole of your left foot along the inside of your right leg as far as you can go, avoiding the knee area. You can grab the left foot with your hand and place it on your opposite leg, if it helps. Hands can be at the center of your chest or on your hips. Repeat with the right leg.
To stretch lower back: Cat cow (bitilasana)
Start on your hands and knees in a table top position. On an inhale, lift your chest and head toward the ceiling and let your belly sink. On an exhale, push strongly through your hands on the floor, drop your head and round your back. Repeat.
For strength: Boat pose (navasana)
Lie on the floor with knees bent. Hold on to the backs of the legs, and lift your torso up using the strength of your middle section. Hold, or if you’d like a challenge, straighten your arms and legs out so that you look like a sitting V.
To open hips: Reclining pigeon
Lie on your back on the floor. Bend your knees and cross your left ankle over your right thigh. Flex your left foot. Lift your right leg to your chest. Your hands can be clasped behind the right leg or placed on the right shin. Repeat on left side.
For stability: Warrior 1 (virabhadrasana I)
From a standing position, step your left foot back about four feet. Turn the left foot at a 45-degree angle. Turn your hips to the front of the room. Bend your right knee until you feel a stretch. Lift your arms to the ceiling. Repeat on the opposite side.