Knee problem? Difficulty sitting on the floor? Here’s a look at how senior citizens of this society keep themselves active — and positive.
A yoga session in progress at Uniworld Gardens I
At Uniworld Gardens I, on Sohna Road, Gurgaon, senior citizens know how to keep their body and mind active. Their fitness mantra? Yoga, of course!
Every morning, 9 am to 10 am, senior residents can be seen doing asanas in the first-floor yoga classroom of the condominium, gently guided by resident yoga teachers Ritu Baweja, Vinod Singh and Nidhi.
The condominium has 506 flats, with more than 55 senior citizens — of them, 30 are regulars at the yoga class.
Nirmala Sharma, 70, recounts how yoga helped her. “I was unable to sit on the floor and suffered from severe knee pain. Yoga has made my body flexible and greatly improved my confidence. Earlier, I had difficulty walking, but now things are way better,” she says, smiling.
For 63-year-old Meenu Seth, these yoga sessions act as a stress buster. “Since joining class, positive thoughts seem to have taken over my stress. I feel happy inside — and really enjoy the asanas. I try not to skip class.”
She adds, “I have even been sleeping better since I started doing yoga.”
“Senior citizens are an integral part of Uniworld Gardens I, and we must all help them lead a fit life,” says RWA president Nirlept Singh.
For those who have problems sitting on the floor, there’s chair yoga as well.
Singh explains, “Chair yoga is the gentlest form of yoga. You do the asanas sitting on a chair — or standing, using the chair for support. It increases flexibility and deepens body awareness. This form of yoga is known to have helped people with health issues, such as hypertension, anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis and insomnia. And it is highly recommended for senior citizens.”
The silvers have been practising chair yoga for almost a year now — and some have shown remarkable improvement in fitness. Citing an example, Singh says, “We had someone who was unable to bend down to tie shoelaces, or even walk up the ramp to the club. A chance visit to the club introduced him to chair yoga. After three months of regular classes, he has gained a lot of body flexibility, and he is able to do a lot of things that earlier he wasn’t able to.”
Event coordinator Ritika Chopra says, “We have been proactive in keeping our elderly healthy, and will continue to have more such initiatives.”
