Yoga for seniors in 2025

Doing daily sudoku, eating piles of spinach, drinking 10 glasses of water on days ending in ‘Y’. These are just some of the countless pieces of health advice aimed at those 50 and above, and most of it doesn’t sound nearly as appealing as relaxing on the couch with a cuppa and watching M*A*S*H reruns.

The good news is that at least one of those pieces of health advice, yoga, is actually fun. And you can even do it while watching reruns if you like (extra points if you can sip your tea while doing the downward-facing dog).

Why yoga is great for ageing bodies

By the time you hit your 50s, your body has probably already started to hit back at you. From the loss of flexibility you enjoyed in your younger years, to aching muscles, many of us have started feeling the passage of time at this point.

Yoga can help to lower your blood pressure, improve your core strength, straighten up your posture, improve circulation, and maintain your flexibility.

To ease the aches of chronic pain and arthritis, the smooth, flowing movements of yoga can also help you to build strength and reduce inflammation.

Gentle yoga styles to try 

Yoga isn’t exactly the kind of exercise you go into guns blaring. It’s a gentle, beginner-friendly exercise that anyone can do.

Here are a few styles to try as you get started:

Basic yoga

Basic yoga is introductory. It focuses on the key elements of yoga, including foundational poses, breathing techniques, and mindful movement. Look up Child’s Pose, Cow Pose, and Warrior 2 Pose for some simple ones to start with, then add a simple pranayama (breathing technique) to the routine. These are some basic yoga poses that are easy to start off with!

Chair yoga

Chair yoga uses a standard dining chair as part of the movements, and is ideal for beginners or those with injuries or mobility challenges. It incorporates the chair both for some sitting exercises, and for support in standing exercises.

YouTube offers some great videos on chair yoga exercises, such as this one from Yoga with Adriene. It includes heel lifts, leg extensions, and poses that use the chair as a support for harder movements, such as Warrior Pose.

Sitting yoga

Sitting yoga is similar to chair yoga, but with the key difference that sitting yoga doesn’t rely on the chair for support for standing poses. Instead, all exercises are done whilst sitting down.

This YouTube clip by Yoga with Kassandra is a great introduction to sitting yoga, and is designed for seniors and beginners. Sitting yoga for seniors is also a great way to ease into some gentle exercise and can be a great way to start moving your body.

Yin yoga

Yin yoga for seniors is like regular yoga, but where you hold a pose for an extended period of time, even as much as three to five minutes.

It is a slow, restorative practice designed to release tension in the joints and muscles, it involves holding poses for extended periods, allowing the body to deeply relax and the connective tissues to gently stretch.

Give this a try once you’re feeling confident and comfortable with some key basic poses.

Where to find yoga classes for seniors in New Zealand

While YouTube is a great way to start to get your head around it all and build some confidence, yoga classes will help you progress safely and add a fun social aspect to your exercise.

Live Stronger is a great tool to find yoga (and other mobility exercise classes) in your area. Age Concern New Zealand also offers the Steady As You Go program all over the country, which are targeted to older adults and cost just $3 per class.

Ultimately, yoga can help to keep you fighting fit so you can enjoy your retirement years with friends and family in health and comfort. And while you’re looking out for yourself, you could also consider looking out for them with Seniors Life Insurance.  

20 Oct 2025