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We’re taking a breath – Any inquiries can be sent to admin@yogazeit.com.au
We’re taking a breath – Any inquiries can be sent to admin@yogazeit.com.au
A 2018 study of residents in an aged care facility, found that residents did not participate in residential activities due to fear of falling and exhaustion (Cheu, 2018).
My mother is 75, a radical baby boomer. Over the last ten years, she has gone from being a happy, active and working person to one who lives on the couch. She has had knee replacements and heart issues. The pain she feels is real. The tiredness she feels is real. Unfortunately, the more she was on the couch, the more body tone she lost, the more her pain levels increased, the more her fear levels increased, the less she walked or engaged with society. She watches TV and rarely sees people. Her whole life is now determined by pain and the fear of falling. Her story is not unusual, says Helen – Yogazeit volunteer
The lack of activity and fear was despite being in a facility that was supportive and had appropriate activities. So, a different approach was tried: the trial of mindful movement through yoga and tai chi. The study was conducted with the Auckland University of Technology. The study found that mindful movement, tai chi and yoga, improved confidence, balance, posture and body awareness.
According to Dr Saravanakumar, yoga and tai chi gave seniors a sense of safety, unlike the traditional gym-based activities (Cheu, 2018). The activities were slow and mindful, calm and relaxing. The impact was that the seniors felt increased confidence, balance, posture and body awareness. The study concluded that seniors participating in mindful movement increased their physical strength and mental well-being.
Being stronger and body aware, is one of the best ways of preventing falls according to Stay on Your Feet (2022). Muscle and bone strength contribute to creating a “stable and controlled body position while we move”. So, confidence helped the seniors in the study overcome their fear of falling. Strength helped to overcome weak muscle balance challenges. The confidence and strength created a strength and mindful positivity circle.
The positivity circle prevents falls, but, what happens to the pain that is often a source of fear? Jon Kabat-Zinn, a mindfulness practitioner, found that people in pain, who undertook activities that were mindful, had diminished perceived pain (Kabat-Zinn, 2013).
Mindful activities include movement but, importantly, also focus on the breath. By focusing on the breath, attention is on the body and mind in the moment. Slow mindful movement combined with the breath, decreases stress and decreases pain awareness. The person can then rest. Less perceived pain, increased positivity circle and less falls. A great outcome for seniors.
“The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” Jon Kabat-Zinn.
There is considerable research that suggests yoga, when practiced correctly, can have numerous benefits for seniors. These include:
Yogazeit actively supports BRIGHWATER Group this April Falls Prevention month, offering over 20 classes of modified Chair Yoga and Mindfulness online on zoom (due to COVID restrictions). This means access to Health and Wellbeing initiatives to support healthy bodies and minds to all facilities across the month. Chair yoga classes are accessible, mindful and meaningful and include a selection of Lower Body, Cross Body, Core, Music Movement and more. All activities are aimed to support falls prevention and body-mind awareness, empowering older adults with limited ability (or fear of falling) to stay physically active and mentally healthy while improving flexibility, strengths and mood!
Please visit Seniors for more details on the full range of training courses for Aged Care staff and programs available.
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References
Written by: Helen Doran-Wu, Yogazeit Volunteer and passionate Yogi
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Any inquiries can be sent to admin@yogazeit.com.au.
We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we are working and living on, the Whadjuk Noongar people.
We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life, education and mindfulness of this city and this region supported by the leadership of Noongar elders past, present and emerging.
We extend this acknowledgement and respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.