Yoga is all about community

Why Yoga as Self-Care Matters for an Ageing Community

As we age, taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing becomes more important than ever. Yet too often, self-care is misunderstood as a luxury rather than a necessity. For the ageing community, self-care is essential to maintaining independence, vitality, and quality of life. One of the most powerful and accessible forms of self-care is yoga.

Yoga is not just stretching or exercise. It is a holistic practice designed to support the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Unlike some fitness activities that become harder with age, yoga is adaptable. It meets people exactly where they are, regardless of mobility, strength, or previous experience. From chair yoga to gentle floor practice and breathwork, yoga offers something for everyone.

One of the biggest challenges of ageing is the gradual loss of muscle strength and flexibility. Research shows that regular movement is key to preserving physical function and reducing the risk of falls—the number one cause of injury among adults over 65. Yoga helps by strengthening the muscles that support posture and stability, particularly in the legs and core. Through mindful movement, it also improves proprioception (awareness of where the body is in space), a critical component of balance.

Another significant benefit is joint health. Many older adults live with stiffness from arthritis or past injuries. Yoga uses slow, controlled movements that increase mobility without strain. Unlike high-impact exercise, yoga also protects the joints by gently lubricating them and improving circulation. Over time, this reduces pain and increases ease of movement.

However, yoga’s benefits go far beyond the physical. Ageing can bring emotional challenges—loneliness, anxiety, or the stress of life changes. Through breathing exercises and meditation, yoga calms the nervous system and reduces stress hormones. It teaches emotional resilience by helping people feel grounded and at peace within themselves, no matter what life brings.

Perhaps most importantly, yoga builds connection, to the body, to breath, and to community. Group yoga classes offer a warm, welcoming space where people can move, laugh, share, and feel supported. For many older adults, this sense of belonging is just as healing as the physical practice.

In a world that often overlooks the needs of its ageing population, yoga offers empowerment. It allows people to take their health into their own hands—gently, intelligently, and with compassion. Yoga is not about touching your toes; it’s about self-care, self-awareness, and staying well for life.

If you are looking for a gentle, safe way to improve your health and stay active? Chair Yoga is perfect for all ages and abilities — especially if you want to build strength, improve balance, and stay flexible without getting down on the floor. There are several local chair yoga classes across Wokingham borough running now that are worth exploring or reach out to one of the teachers to find out more.

If you are interested in joining our chair yoga community or you know someone that could do with some friendship, support and having a bit of a laugh, then click here to learn more.

Wiggle your toes day!!!

Why You Should Exercise Your Toes (Yes, Your Toes!) and How to Do It

When we think about fitness, we often focus on big muscle groups—legs, arms, core—but we rarely give our toes a second thought. Yet, these small, often overlooked parts of our body play a critical role in balance, posture, and overall mobility. Strengthening and stretching your toes can improve your stability, prevent injuries, and even alleviate foot pain.

Why Exercising Your Toes Matters

1. Toes Support Balance and StabilityYour toes help anchor your body every time you stand, walk, or run. They are crucial for maintaining balance—especially when you're barefoot or walking on uneven surfaces. Weak or stiff toes can lead to instability, which may increase your risk of falls or ankle injuries.

2. Toes Play a Role in Proper GaitWhen your toes function properly, they help distribute your weight evenly as you move, reducing strain on your knees, hips, and lower back. Poor toe mobility or strength can alter your walking pattern, leading to discomfort or injury over time.

3. They Help Prevent Common Foot IssuesIssues like plantar fasciitis, bunions, and hammertoes are often linked to muscle imbalances or stiffness in the feet and toes. Regular toe exercises can improve foot alignment and relieve pressure on overworked areas.

You don’t need any special equipment to start exercising your toes. Here are a few easy exercises you can do daily:

1. Toe Lifts and Spreads

• How to do it: Sit or stand with your feet flat on the ground. Slowly lift all your toes off the floor, trying to spread them apart. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

• Why it helps: This improves control and mobility in the small muscles of your feet, encouraging better balance and foot awareness.

2. Toe Curls with a Towel

• How to do it: Place a towel on the floor and use your toes to scrunch it toward you. Repeat for 10–15 reps.

• Why it helps: Strengthens the flexor muscles in your toes and the arch of your foot, which can help with stability and foot fatigue.

3. Marble Pick-Up

• How to do it: Place a few marbles (or small objects) on the floor and use your toes to pick them up and drop them into a bowl.

• Why it helps: Increases dexterity and coordination, which is useful for maintaining fine motor control in the feet.

Yoga: A Holistic Way to Strengthen Your Toes

Yoga is one of the best ways to build strength and flexibility in your toes. Many yoga poses encourage you to spread your toes, press them into the mat, or balance on them—activating muscles that often go unused. For example:

• Downward Dog encourages toe extension and spreading.

• Tree Pose challenges your balance, engaging your toes to stabilize.

• Hero Pose and Toe Squats stretch the often-tight toe flexors and fascia.

Over time, yoga improves toe awareness, strengthens your foot muscles, and enhances your balance—all of which are important for long-term mobility and injury prevention.

One really cool thing to do is something I teach in my yoga classes. If you have reasonable flexibility in your toes, try placing your forefinger between your big toe and the next toe. Then continue to insert your fingers between your toes, you may need some baby oil to help get them in!

Once you have our fingers appropriately placed, squeeze your fingers to compress the toe joint for about 10 seconds and let for the pressure, then squeeze the toes to compress your fingers and then release your hand.

This will create a nice sensation of openness in your feet, freedom, liberation, it is quite something, set your pinkies free!

Give Your Toes the Attention They Deserve

Strong, flexible toes are more than just a footnote in your fitness journey—they’re essential for keeping you grounded (literally). Whether you're an athlete, a yogi, or just someone who wants to walk more comfortably, taking a few minutes a day to exercise your toes can lead to noticeable improvements in your balance, posture, and overall foot health.

So next time you stretch or strengthen a muscle, don’t forget to look down—your toes are ready to get in on the action.

"Getting up isn’t just a move — it’s a measure of your strength, balance, and resilience."

How Aging Reduces Muscle Strength and Makes It Harder to Stand Up — And How Yoga can help…

As we age, many people notice everyday tasks becoming more difficult, one of the most common is the simple act of standing up from a chair or rising from the floor. This isn’t just about getting "stiff", it's a result of biological changes in the muscles and joints that occur naturally with age. Fortunately, there are practical strategies to counteract this decline — and yoga stands out as one of the most effective.

Muscle strength peaks in our late 20s to early 30s. After that, we experience a gradual decline in muscle mass and strength — a process known as sarcopenia. By the time a person reaches their 70s or 80s, they may have lost as much as 30–50% of their muscle mass compared to their younger years.

The act of standing from a chair or the floor requires strength in the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, core, and calf muscles — all of which are vulnerable to age-related weakening. Additionally, joint stiffness, balance decline, and slower reaction times can make this task more precarious.

When these muscles weaken and coordination diminishes, people may need to push off with their arms, rock back and forth, or grab nearby furniture to help them rise — all signs that functional strength is declining.        

Some key changes that contribute to this are:

1. Loss of Muscle Fibers

   Aging leads to a decrease in both the number and size of muscle fibres, especially the fast-twitch fibres that are responsible for quick, powerful movements — like pushing yourself up off the floor.

2. Decreased Motor Neuron Function

   Nerve cells that control muscle contractions (motor neurons) decline with age. When a motor neuron dies, the muscle fibres it controlled may also atrophy.

3. Reduced Protein Synthesis

   The body becomes less efficient at building and repairing muscle tissue, especially without adequate physical activity or nutrition.

4. Less Physical Activity

   Aging often comes with a more sedentary lifestyle, which accelerates muscle weakening and joint stiffness. The "use it or lose it" principle becomes even more relevant.

   
   

How Yoga Can Help Restore Strength and Mobility

Yoga is often associated with flexibility, but it also offers significant benefits for strength, balance, and mobility — especially in older adults. Yoga is an effective way to;

1. Strengthens Key Muscle Groups

   Poses like Chair Pose, Warrior poses, and Downward Dog engage the core, legs, and arms — helping to rebuild strength in the same muscles used to stand up.

2. Improves Balance and Coordination

   Standing postures and balance work (like Tree Pose) enhance neuromuscular coordination, making it easier to perform movements safely and smoothly.

3. Enhances Flexibility and Joint Mobility

   Regular yoga practice gently stretches tight muscles and lubricates joints, making it easier to rise from seated or lying positions.

4. Builds Mind-Muscle Awareness

   Yoga teaches mindfulness and body awareness, which can help older adults move with more intention and reduce the risk of falls.

5. Low-Impact and Adaptable

   Yoga can be modified to suit any fitness level. Chair yoga, for instance, allows people with limited mobility to begin building strength safely.

   
   

The physical decline associated with aging is natural — but it's not inevitable. Regular physical activity, particularly practices like yoga, can slow or even reverse some of the muscle loss and mobility issues that make standing up difficult. By incorporating yoga into a weekly routine, older adults can improve their strength, flexibility, balance, and confidence in movement.