International Yoga Day 2025: 8 Yogic Asanas To Try At Home For Senior Citizens

The word yoga has Sanskrit roots. It is originated from the Sanskrit term “Yuj” which means “to join” or “to unite”. Yoga, in a broader sense, is a type of exercise that comprises Asanas, Pranayama and meditation. Asanas improve your body posture and health, while Pranayama helps you breathe better, and meditation facilitates clarity of thoughts. It allows you to be at peace with yourself and improves health and organ function. Yoga allows an individual to relax while building flexibility. Beyond its physical benefits, Yoga extends benefits like emotional well-being and spiritual and mental calmness. The world celebrates International Yoga Day on 21st June. People can celebrate this day by practising Yoga poses such as performing Asanas, meditation or light breathing exercises.

Here are 8 yoga poses (asanas) that every senior citizen can perform at home:

Tadasana: Mountain Pose

For Tadasana, also known as the mountain pose, stand feet hip-width apart, join your hands and raise them over your head. Bend a little backward to give your body a good stretch for other poses. It is usually performed at the beginning allowing you to stretch your body and serves as light warm up.

Benefit: Mountain pose allows your body to stretch and prepares it for other standing poses. Mountain pose also allows you to correct your postural imbalances and grounds your feet. It helps with flexibility and strengthens your legs. You will feel a strong stretch in your middle and lower back and tailbone.

Vrakshasana: The Tree Pose

The tree pose involves tucking your left foot into the inner thigh of your right leg, joining your hands, and raising them above your head while standing straight.

Benefits: Tree pose allows you to strengthen your legs, ankle and feet. It also helps in correcting your spine alignment and improves balance. It helps with flexibility and enhances joint health. Here you will feel the stretch in your sides and your right leg.

Utkatasana: Chair Pose

Utkatasana involves standing straight and folding your knees and sitting in the air similarly like you would sit in a chair. Raise your hands forward, palms facing each other. This might be a bit difficult as you have to hold this position for 1-2 minutes. Senior citizens with mobility issues take caution if the strain is too much on your thighs and calves.

Benfits: Utkatasana improves your immunity while correcting your back posture. Those who sit for long hours should practice this to correct their sitting posture and to prevent slouching. It helps strengthen your core and legs. You will feel the stretch in your thigh and calf muscles.

Adho Mukha Asana: Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Adho Mukha Asana is performed by starting on your hands and knees like a cat position. Then, lift your hips in the air and straighten your knees to complete the pose. Seniors with any type of hand mobility issue must refrain from doing this pose.

Benefit: You will feel a strong stretch in your calf muscles. Your weight will be on your hands and your heels will be in the air. Try to rest your heels on the mat to attain full stretch in your calf muscles. This pose helps strengthen your shoulders, arms, and legs and straightens your back. It also improves flexibility in your hamstring and calf as well as thigh muscles. This asana, in particular, improves blood circulation in your whole body.

Virabhadrasana I, II and III: Warrior poses

Virabhadrasana I: For Virabhadrasana I, ground your feet on the mat and take your right leg backwards for a good stretch while keeping your left knee at a 90-degree angle. Your palms should face each other, and your hands should be stretched up your head. Try to move your hands as far back as you can for maximum stretch in your middle back. Then repeat the same with your other leg and knee. Maintain the position for 1 minute with each side.

Virabhadrasana II: Go from Virabhadrasana I to Virabhadrasana II by facing towards the side of your bent knee, opening your arms wide and bend your knee forward. Repeat the same with the other combination of legs. Maintain the same position for 1 minute with each side.

Virabhadrasana III: Stay in Virabhadrasana I and join your legs; take your right leg and stretch it backwards in the air while moving your body forward with your hands stretched in front of you. Maintain the position for 1 minute with each side.

Benefit: This pose helps in increasing blood flow through the body while improving flexibility and strengthening your legs and knee joints. It also stretches your upper, middle and lower back.

Chakravakasana: Cat and Cow Pose

For Chakravakasana, start on your hands and knees; arch your back first outward like a cat and then inward by dropping your belly inside like a cow. Repeat this pose with maximum arch, and you are able to stretch your back in for maximum stretch.

Benefit: Chakravakasana allows you to be more flexible while fully stretching your back and strengthening your knee and wrist joints. It strengthens your arms as well as thighs. It also promotes spinal flexibility.

Setu Bandha Asana: Bridge Pose

For this asana, lie straight on your back and fold your knees. Lift your knees upwards, you will feel a stretch in your hips and hamstrings. Those with cervical or neck problems must avoid this asana.

Benefits: Setu Bandha Asana allows spinal flexibility while helping release tension in your hamstrings and lower back. It also helps straighten your back muscles by aligning your spine.

Savasana: Corpse Pose

For this pose, lie straight on your back and relax your body. Let go of all the tension in your body, allowing it to loosen up on the mat.

Benefit:  Savasana allows you to relax and release stress and tension from your joints, spine arms legs and your entire body. This asana promotes reduction in anxiety and better sleep.