Page 17 - 2018 Conway Senior Expo

RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRATGAZETTE • SENIOR EXPO SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018
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INCLUDE YOGA IN YOUR EXERCISE REGIMEN
Practitioners of yoga typically love how this unique discipline that exercises the body while relaxing the mind improves their flexibility. Many yoga poses are designed to improve the strength and flexibility of muscles, and some physicians may even recommend yoga to aging patients. Yoga DVDs or streaming sessions can be great, but beginners may want to visit yoga studios or sign up for classes at gyms so instructors can personally ensure that students are doing each pose correctly. As their flexibility improves, men and women can try more difficult poses and classes if they so desire.
“Many yoga poses focus on balance and stability, both of which are important as you age,” Castillo said. “Yoga is also great for joints that tend to be achy or stiff.”
GET IN THE POOL
Activity that can help aging men and women improve their flexibility. Strength- training exercises are an important component of a well-balanced exercise regimen, but such workouts tend to focus on one or two muscle groups at a time. That means other muscle
groups may be inactive and tighten up as a result. Swimming works the entire body, which helps all muscle groups stay loose and flexible. One or two swimming sessions per week can contribute to great gains in overall flexibility, especially for men and women who remember to stretch when they get out of the pool.
“Our classes range from low-impact exercises to high cardio,” said Kyle Shunkey, aquatics coordinator at Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center. “One of our low-impact classes is the Arthritis Aquatic Program. It is a low- intensity workout designed for individuals with arthritis. This class is a continual movement class that helps participants stretch to relieve issues with their joints. On the other side of the spectrum, we offer Splash. Splash is a moderate-impact class that gets the heart rate up and builds strength and endurance.”
Flexibility may decrease as men and women age, but there are various ways to combat the natural loss of flexibility.
— Courtesy of Metro Creative, with contributions by Cody Graves, special sections writer