For years, I have been doing yoga to maintain my health as a senior. Not so much the meditating (although I really should add this to my regime), but doing easy daily stretching and breathing exercises. Now that I’m a senior, the rejuvenating effects and energy I get from even a mild, daily yoga routine is unbelievable and if you’re a baby boomer, it can also make you feel years younger. Many of us seniors wake up somewhat stiff and achy in the morning and it usually takes an hour before we begin to feel as we did before we became senior citizens and retirees.

The great thing about yoga stretching for seniors is you can gear it to your own ability and flexibility. You don’t need to exert yourself for it to make you feel rejuvenated. Many assisted living facilities, retirement communities, nursing homes and even Alzheimer’s care facilities have daily yoga routines for seniors health because it is so effective. Don’t over do it. Even very mild forms of the routine outlined below will benefit you immensely and make you feel years younger. Here is a 15 minute routine that is worth the try.

First, stand on your tip toes and stretch towards the ceiling and try to hold position for 20 seconds. If you can’t stand on your toes, just raise your hands as high as is comfortable for you. If you’re a senior citizen, you are probably a little stiff, so don’t push yourself. Do this, count to 20, ( if 20 seconds is too long, only do 5 or 10) then relax with your arms at your sides for 5 seconds or so and repeat this 5 times.

Next, stand with your feet comfortably apart and your arms stretched out parallel to the floor. Then raise your right arm while still keeping it strait, put your left hand on the side of your left knee, bend sideways to the left at the waist and point your right arm towards the ceiling or as high as it is comfortable and count to 20. Then do the same with your left arm. The key once again is not to force the stretch. Only go as far as is comfortable for you because your older muscles haven’t been stretched for some time. Repeat this 5 times on each side.

This next easy routine helps eliminate the aches in hamstrings, behind your knees and calves. Stand with your feet about a foot apart, bend your arms, point your elbows out to each side, touch your fingertips together and face your palms out. Then push your palms out towards the front, trying to keep the palms at a right angle to your wrists. Hold this for a count of 20 and begin to raise your hands (still with arms locked, fingertips touching and palms facing out) and try to face your palms towards the ceiling while standing strait. Then separate your fingertips, and move your arms down to your sides and (here’s the tricky part) and clasp your hands behind your back. (If this is uncomfortable, you can fold your arms in front of you and bend forward at the waist as far as is comfortable, let your folded arms hang down towards the floor, while keeping your legs locked strait). Trying to keep your arms strait and your hands clasped together keep your arms behind your back and bend at the waist forward as far as you can comfortably go while still keeping your hands clasped behind you. Many elderly people find this especially helpful. Hold each part of this for a count of 20 and also repeat this 5 times.

Next, sit on the floor with your legs strait out in front of you, bend forward and try to touch your toes. Only bend as far as is comfortable for you to do so. Hold the stretch for a count of 20, sit up strait for 10 seconds and repeat 4 more times.

Then remain sitting, keep one leg still strait out and bend the other to bring the heel towards your groin. Next, take the arm opposite to the leg that is stretched out and try to touch your toe. In other words, right fingertips to left toe. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat with the other arm and leg. Do 5 repetitions of this as well. Only stretch as far as comfortable.

Now, for an easy deep breathing exercise. While still sitting with one leg stretched out in front and the other bent with your heel towards your groin, sit up as strait as you can. If your left leg is strait out in front and your right leg is bent, place your left palm on your right heel. Try forcing (push with your lower abdomen) all of the air out of your lungs through your mouth, hold your breath for a few seconds and then slowly breathe in through your nose, then exhale. Relax for a few seconds then repeat this 5 more times. If this makes you dizzy or light headed use your judgment on how much force you use to push your breath out, how much air you inhale and how long you hold your breath.

There is another advanced variation of this yoga breathing exercise that you can do. After you have forced the air out of your lungs, pull or contract your stomach muscles in and push them out rapidly and repeat this as many times as it is comfortable for you to do so. Start with 2 or 3 contractions and work your way up, then inhale through your nose. Start off with the initial basic breathing exercise and then maybe try doing 2 or 3 stomach muscle flexes. This is a good exercise for your lower internal organs that will “massage them” because when the air in you lungs is removed and you contract and expand your stomach muscles, you are “massaging” more of your lower internal organs. This will also help you keep “regular” as it “exercises” your bowels and intestines.

If you can get into this daily routine on a regular basis, you will feel better, be more flexible and stay healthier longer.

There are hundreds of good yoga books for beginners and some especially for senior citizens and residents of retirement communities and they are well worth the price. You don’t have to sit in a lotus cross legged position standing on your head as many perceive yoga to be. A mild stretching routine each and every day can be your fountain of youth. Once again, as a retired baby boomer, only stretch as far as is comfortable for you to do so. As the days and weeks pass, you will be able to stretch more and more each day and feel better and better.