Yoga is not a form of hard-core workout, rather it’s a lifestyle that you can adopt at any point in your life. It is a spiritual discipline that tends to bring harmony between your physical and mental world. If you’re thinking about the age at which you should start practicing yoga, keep scrolling! We’re going to dig deep into the importance of yoga for every age group and when people from different age groups should start practicing yoga.
The Right Age to Practice Yoga
Yoga is no less than a blessing and it should be practiced early in life so that you can reap benefits in older age. Although there is no right age to practice yoga, the ideal age is when a child turns 8 years old. Mostly, the kids of this age don’t have any internal or external pressure of any kind, and practicing yoga at a young age will help them develop into a more composed version of themselves.
It will have a positive effect on the children’s important body systems, such as respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems. It also influences the emotions of children, and aids creativity, by positively affecting the mental state.
According to modern scientists, this age is crucial for a child’s psychological and physiological development. Also,
- Psychologists believe that, at the age of eight, kids start understanding different ideas and concepts, which form the basis of their morals and ethical values in the years to come.
- Spiritual development also begins at this age, and that’s why it’s a perfect time to incorporate yoga into the kid’s life.
Quality Consciousness for Kids
According to popular belief, kids are difficult to influence, but some of them are very receptive. Introducing yoga into their lives at the age of eight can help transform their ‘quality consciousness’. It is defined as being aware of right and wrong, and being more in sync with one’s standards and what they’re trying to achieve. The quality of consciousness is a lot more effective when an individual is free and open-minded (like kids) and not absorbed in his/her thoughts or is not able to retain information.
Additionally, have a look at the 5 yoga poses for kids that will build strong foundations.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
Yoga has a positive effect on a children’s well-being and bears many other potential benefits. Some of them are as follows.
- The breathing exercises in yoga help children manage their anxiety.
- Yoga improves the posture and flexibility of children, thus boosting their self-esteem.
- Different types of moves in yoga can enhance a child’s memory and concentration, which later helps them in academics.
Start Practicing Yoga Now…
People from different age groups can start practicing yoga at any point in their lives, as it contains a lot of physical and mental health benefits, but with few restrictions for seniors! Let’s dig deep into it and see how yoga affects people from different age groups.
The Right Age for Teens to Practice Yoga
Yoga is important for teens and all of them, from 13-year-olds to 19-year-olds, are at a perfect age to practice yoga. After all, they are going through all kinds of physical, mental, and hormonal changes. Practicing yoga in teenage can help them be calmer, composed, and focused on their goals.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), yoga is an effective therapy that significantly helps teenagers cope with physical and mental conditions, and help improve their behavioral and emotional wellbeing.
Benefits of Yoga for Teenagers
Yoga helps teenagers in many ways. Some of them are as follows.
1. Improves Physical Health – Practicing yoga helps teenagers improve their physical appearance, including posture, flexibility, body strength, and balance in the process.
2. Improves Mental Health – Teenagers go through a lot, in social and academic settings. Whether they’re not meeting the conventional beauty standards, are not able to excel academically, or don’t have many friends, they can get depressed quickly. That’s when yoga can help them out. It brings them peace, helps them deal with difficult circumstances, and makes them practice self-love.
Learn more about how yoga helps college students in their academics.
3. Helps in Stress Management – If there’s one thing that teenagers have to cope with, it’s stress. Whether it’s in the form of difficult exams, college admissions, or juggling extracurricular activities, they have a lot on their plate, which gives them a lot of stress too. Yoga can help them take some time out for themselves, lower stress levels, think with a calm mind, and then develop practical solutions for the problems, to deal with overwhelming feelings of stress and anxiety.
4. Develops a Focused Personality – Teenagers sit for eight hours in a classroom, but almost all of them are unfocused. That’s because of the raging hormones, interests in different activities, or just a simple need to scroll social media instead, rather than listening to their Ma’am for one hour. It’s almost normal for teenagers to not be focused during this age, and yoga can help them improve their attention span, and promote a more focused attitude, thus helping them concentrate better throughout the day.
The Right Age of Yoga for Adults to Practice Yoga
Grownups, or adults, are always stressed about not making it to their kid’s school meetings, failing to attain work-life balance, not being able to socialize, budgeting for every small purchase, and earning enough money for their kids’ future. Generally, people aged between 21 and 60 are considered adults and it’s more than the right age to incorporate yoga into their lives.
Benefits of Yoga for Adults
Yoga helps adults practice control, which also includes accepting that they can’t control everything. There are many benefits of yoga for adults. Some of them are listed below.
- The breathing exercises in yoga help adults in practicing a more slowed and meaningful lifestyle, thus making them face reality with a more calm and composed attitude.
- Yoga helps them in overcoming anxiety, fear, and depression that may be caused by hard situations at work, too many expectations from their loved ones, or not being able to give proper time to the family.
- Yoga improves fitness in adults, help them make healthier life choices, and boosts their confidence, thus improving their overall social conduct.
In case you’re also a struggling adult in this fast-paced world, try out Kundalini Yoga for deeper self-awareness.
The Right Age for Seniors to Practice Yoga
Seniors are defined as individuals who’re 60 years old, and in most cases, they need yoga more than anything. After working all their lives it’s a great way to slow down a little and enjoy their free time.
However, as a senior citizen, if you’re very inactive or suffer from any chronic conditions, consult with your doctor before starting yoga. Those with glaucoma or disc problems should be extra careful, because of the poses like inversions and twits respectively.
Benefits of Yoga for Seniors
Seniors can benefit from yoga in many ways, and some of them are listed below.
- It increases the muscle strength of seniors and helps improve their mood.
- Through breathing exercises in yoga, lung capacity is increased, which is also crucial for seniors to live healthy lives.
- Yoga may improve the posture of seniors.
- There are different types of yoga, and one of them is Yoga Nidra, which seniors can practice for complete relaxation that also induces better sleep.
However, keep in mind that these changes won’t be done overnight, but through a constant process. Regularly practicing yoga will allow you to enjoy the best results.
All the Yogis, Listen Up!
Yoga consists of many slow activities and is mostly practiced to achieve balance and harmony in life. Whether you’re a kid, a teenager, an adult, or a senior, selecting the right type of yoga for your health and fitness needs is the key! Because only then you’ll be able to bear the fruits and attain the peace of mind that you’ve always wanted. We hope that this article helped you start your yoga journey or if you’re already practicing, made it easier for you, after reading about its lifelong benefits.