Balance is a very important topic for anyone, but especially for older people. Modified yoga helps improve balance in older people. Teaching them to strengthen their legs and ankles is one of the many ways this is done. One pose that works effectively is standing on the balls of your feet for ten to fifteen seconds. If you are worried about falling, hold on to the back of a chair or use the wall for support. Pressing to the balls of your feet strengthens your ankles, calves, and also stretches the arch of your foot. It stimulates blood flow to the feet, toes and heels.

Many older people struggle with balance because they have foot problems. In modified yoga, we stretch the sole of the foot, the top of the foot, and stretch the toes to open them. The flexibility of the feet helps balance. To maintain balance, a person may grab the ground with their toes. Try to extend your toes like fingers. Try wiggling your toes without shoes to stretch them out. In our chair yoga classes, we include a little exercise to practice grabbing a strap on the floor with just your toes. Also to keep your foot up and flex your toes up and down, as if you were saying “Hello” with your fingers.

I encourage massaging the soles of the feet in classes as well, and moving the big toes up and down in the massage. Another way to strengthen your ankles and improve your balance is to pump your foot up and down, then bring the soles of your feet together, point your knees out, open your feet out, and bring the soles back together. In a way, your feet will look like penguin flippers.

In modified mat yoga, downward dog, or inverted “V” with a heels-up variation, works on balance. In chair yoga, we stand behind the chair, put one foot forward in a lunge, and push the back heel up, then down, then push the front heel up. One after another and switch legs. In a modified mat class we can also do that in a standing stretch. Stand in a lunge position, as described above, except without the chair. Push your back heel up first, then your front heel. Switch legs and push your back heel up one more time, then your front heel. You rock slightly back and forth.

In chair yoga, while sitting, spread your legs wide and push your heels up very close to the chair. Then lower your heels and raise your toes. We continue to strengthen the ankles and calves.

There are actually many balance poses in yoga that greatly improve balance. There’s nothing like standing on one foot to practice balance. Some poses that do that is the tree pose. Stand on the leg, with your knee bent, place the ball of your other foot against the inside of the leg. Focus on a long point in front of you and bring your palms together at your chest, then raise your hands and then open your arms out and to the sides, then bring them back in front of your chest. , count from five to fifteen seconds.

Another that works in balance is the Eagle. You stand on one bent leg, and with the other leg, you hook it around the front or standing leg, and wrap your leg around the standing leg. Your hands are in front of you. Your arms are bent, and you take one elbow and place it on top of the other elbow, and then you wrap your hands around it and bring your hands together. You have to have one leg bent and you have to grab with your toes. Then go out, when you change hands you have to put the other elbow on top and wrap your hands. It’s a bit awkward and confusing at first, but if you can master the standing poses in a modified yoga class, you’ll also strengthen your ankles and calves, your balance will surely improve dramatically. The modified yoga class is a great start because it is much more gentle and is practiced in a controlled manner.