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Benefits of Chair Yoga - Part 4

Chair Yoga can easily work in harmony with most physical rehabilitation prescriptions. Many physical therapists have knowledge of Yoga or are teachers of Yoga. Many doctors, physical therapists, and medical professionals recommend Yoga to patients who are making a “come back.”

Yoga gives these patients the strength to move ahead, when many would be discouraged. The comebacks that I have personally witnessed are inspiring to me as a Yoga teacher. Over time, I have seen come backs from strokes, heart attacks, and car accidents.

It touches me that they thanked me for teaching them Yoga or Chair Yoga. The courage to go on came from within their minds, but Yoga became a significant part of their lives. As a Yoga teacher the inspiration was mutual and made me feel helpful. After all, being of help, and being appreciated, are prime motivations for teachers of any subject.

Muscle tone is a result of stretching and flexing any muscle group. Active muscles display themselves on anybody that chooses to use them. This is also a good way to relieve oneself of anxiety, stress, tension, and prevent depression. Like the other benefits, previously mentioned, this results in whole body health. A healthy body does, indeed, compliment a healthy mind.

For those clients who are confined to a chair, it is wise to include some form of a weight bearing, or weight resistance, exercise program. For those who can stand, Chair Yoga is another weight bearing exercise that will stimulate bone building.

With progressive weight resistance, you use free weights or machines, but with Yoga you bear your own body weight. The end result of these exercise programs would be increased bone density and prevention of Osteoporosis.

Seniors spend more time alone, than any other age group. Sometimes, we all need a little solitude, but too much solitude can lead to depression, in some of us. Living life like a monk is not for everyone.

Chair Yoga classes offer a social activity that helps to stimulate the mind and body in a positive way. This becomes an uplifting activity that participants look forward to. Regular attendance, and socializing in Chair Yoga classes, is a healthy activity that leads to building strong relationships.

It also exposes seniors to the many activities that are going on within the community center. Participants of chair Yoga classes are exposed to whole health and gain a nutritional education as a member of a senior, community, or wellness center.

Lastly, all participants in Chair Yoga classes learn to relax and quiet the mind, through breath awareness, meditation, stage-by-stage relaxation, a combination, or another method. The end result being that these Yoga students can control their minds, focus on the good things in life, and prevent depression.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard
16 June 2007

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

Articles on Fitness Matters:

An ABS-olutely Fabulous Workout

For many of us, our mid-sections are less than taut - especially since as Singaporeans, we love our food!

If you are looking for a new way to work your abdominal muscles, here are three top abdominal strengthening and toning exercises you may not have tried! Do keep in mind that getting great abs takes more than just exercise.

You need proper nutrition and a well-balanced exercise routine to go with crunches for visible results.

Ab Exercise Guidlines: Perform these abdominal exercises two or three times a week with at least a day's rest in between each workout. Start with two sets of 10-15 repetitions for each exercise. As you improve, move to three sets of 20 repititions. Alternating between the abdominal exercises that work well for you will add variety to your routine.

1. Ab Crunch: Targets Upper Abdominals
- Lie back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
- Cross your leg over one knee and place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
- Push your lower back into the floor, flattening the arch and hold.
- Curl up slowly so both-your shoulders lift off the floor a few inches.
- Hold for a count of two and return to the start position.

Do not clasp your fingers behind your head. Do not tuck your chin to your chest - keep your head up.

Do two sets of 15 repetitions of the Ab Crunch. All this time, tighten abdominal muscles and release when back to first position.

2. Leg Raise: Targets Lower Abdominals
- Lie flat on your back and with feet flat on the floor.
- Grab the bcak of your exercise mat, bedpost or even your partner's ankles.
- Push your lower back into the floor flattening the arch.
- Raise your legs to a 45-degree angle.
- Hold for a count of two and return to the start position.

Do two sets of 15 repetitions of the leg raise. All this time, tighten abdominal muscles, and using controlled movements, slowly release when back to first position.

3. Figure Four Double Crunch: Targets Upper & Lower Abdominals
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
- Crossing your feet at the ankles, lift your feet off the ground to the point where your knees create a 90-degree angle.
- Push your lower back into the floor, flattening the arch and hold.
- Curl up slowly so both your shoulders lift off the fllor a few inches.
- Hold for a count of two and return tot he start position.

Do two sets of 15 repetitions of the Figure Four Double Crunch. All this time, tighten abdominal muscles, and using controlled movements, slowly release when back to first position.

Elaine Young
Singapore
07 June 2007

How To Get Your Diet Plan Back On Track?

It has happened to all of us at some point or another: we were doing so well with our weight loss diet or exercise regime. Then suddenly we fell off the horse and decided that if we had already gone this far and yet failed, we might as well give up entirely.

There's an old Chinese tale about a father and his son who lived on a farm. Together they raised sheep and cared for them. They lived off of these sheep and were able to make money from the sheep's fur. Every day both the father and the son walked around the field where they were raising the sheep to check that the fence was in good order. One night, the fence broke and some wolves sneaked into the field and ate some of the sheep.

The son cried out to his father saying that all was lost and that they were now ruined! But the father simply picked up his tools and took his son to the fence to patch it up. Once the fence had been fixed, the father told his son that just because there was a weakness in the fence it does not mean that it cannot be fixed nor was it impossible for them to keep raising sheep.

Your diet or exercise regime is like sheep, it is always at risk of violated or destroyed. The fence represents your will power and your circumstances. It might happen that you're too busy to go to the gym or go jogging every morning for a period of time. It might happen that you were forced to stop at a fast food joint on the side of the high way. It might happen that you cave in to eating some chips, some chocolate, or any one of your other cravings. But that doesn't mean you should give up and let your sheep continue to be eaten by wolves. After you've stuffed yourself with what you know to be unhealthy food: stop and think about it. It's not the end of the world.

If you go end up on a binge of food, you don't need to eat more bad food to 'get it out of your system'; to feel better or to make sure it never happens again. You will be faced with times where you want to eat something unhealthy, or you want to sleep in and skip your step class. No problem, but don't let that one incident ruin your motivation or your commitment to your diet or exercise regime. It happens to everyone, but if you're one of those people who is able to pick yourself up and fix the fence you'll be able to keep losing weight and get healthier.

I hope this story has helped you to understand that not all is lost if your resolve waivers for a day or a week, or what have you. You are the boss of yourself and you can chose to return to eating healthy foods and working out on a regular basis without any fear. Trust in yourself and make sure you keep your eyes focused on the goal since that's what keeps us all motivated.

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Nathalie Lussier
15 June 2007

Nathalie Lussier maintains the All Around Success Article Directory . She is also the owner of a healthy weight loss web site.

Benefits of Chair Yoga - Part 2

We have all heard the saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Those words are extremely profound, when thinking about correcting poor posture and alignment. It takes years to create poor alignment.

Therefore, poor posture cannot be corrected in a single day. A more appropriate saying, when thinking about posture and alignment might be, “The leaning tower of Pisa cannot become straight in a week.”

However, improvements to posture can be made through Chair Yoga exercises and through daily “posture awareness.” In my classes, I refer to posture awareness as “homework.” It usually draws a chuckle from students, but they also know that class time is the time to learn and practice Chair Yoga together.

Time away from the Yoga class is when you put the principles you have learned, in motion, and adapt them into your lifestyle. I cannot promise Chair Yoga is a “cure all,” but you will see improvements in every aspect of your life. However, practicing your homework separates the fantastic success stories from those who see some modest improvement.

So, what is posture awareness? This is taking the time to be aware of your posture, on a daily basis. The first thing you want to do in order to open your awareness is look at your side profile in a mirror and any photographs of yourself. At this point, look at your spine from top to bottom.

Do you see slumping, forward tilting of the neck, or extra large curves? Your spine should be aligned so that it is fairly straight at all times. During a number of daily activities such as: Standing, walking, reading, eating, sitting, lying, typing, and more, you should make a conscious effort, to keep your head and back straight.

Now, we can all remember a schoolteacher who preached, “Keep your back straight,” but now we know that he or she was absolutely correct. Take the time to adjust your spinal alignment, from this moment on, and every time you can remember to do so.

If possible, you should also attend any workshops about Chiropractic and Orthopedic medicine. Educate yourself about your body, your spine, and your choices. You can usually find these workshops and many more valuable meetings at your local senior center. These workshops are usually free, you are under no obligation, and it makes for a good “Fact finding mission.”

The alignment and posture principles, you learn in a Chair Yoga class, can be as simple as, “Pain or no pain.”

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard
16 Jun 2007

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org