The origins of yoga can be traced to Northern India more than 5000 years ago. 

Yoga is a spiritual, mental and physical practice, over time several health benefits have been associated with the practice. Yoga does more than burn calories and strengthen muscles, it also improves posture, boosts metabolism, increases blood flow, lowers blood sugar, boosts the immune system, improves lung function, promotes better sleep and boosts self-esteem.

As we get older our flexibility decreases, this is, in part inevitable due to the aging process however a loss of muscle mass caused by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle adds to this decrease. The more we neglect our muscles the more inflexible they become.

I wish I’d started practising yoga years ago, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I could offer any advice to younger generations, it would be to use those muscles, look after them.

We do yoga here at Hazel End as part of our exercise programme. To begin with I didn’t expect to gain much from it however I have been pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect that what I considered to be a bit of bending and stretching to affect me in such a positive way.

We do seated yoga. There are many poses that can be done from a seated position and you can really feel the stretch deeply in the muscles. It is both relaxing and invigorating at the same time. The session leaves us feeling more alert and really lifts the mood. 

I didn’t expect to be starting a new exercise routine at this stage in my life but I’m so happy that I have. I am getting more flexible with every session and it’s a good feeling to know that improvements are possible at any age. You do not have to accept things the way they are, start slowly and build up, you won’t regret it.