Yoga Over 50

My husband is 72 and I am 55. He has rheumatoid arthritis but works a lot around the house and yard. I try and stay active. A physical therapist suggested I try yoga after PT for a shoulder injury. We got lucky with this video. It is excellent! I wanted something that would challenge us, stretch and tone our muscles, but wouldn't be too much for absolute beginners. The instructor, Barbara, has a pleasant voice, and explains things carefully and well. The movements are easy to follow although not all easy to do. There are a variety of different workouts. So far we are going through the list choosing the routine and time depending upon our mood. We have done a workout a day from this video for the past few weeks. Already my husband has said he is finding it easier to climb stairs. We are both feeling stronger and more toned. There is enough variety in this one video to keep us from getting bored. Also the range of abilities in each routine will keep us challenged from the rank beginners that we are to the yoga king and queen we hope to become! =)) Hopefully someday we will be so accomplished that we will need something more advanced. For the time being...I feel so lucky that we started with this video. It was the perfect beginning video to challenge us and explain things clearly.

I used to do yoga many years ago but now that I am 71 years old I found it too difficult to pick up where I left off. I bought this CD because it indicated there were 8 routines geared toward people over 50. This is perfect for me. Barbara Benagh is easy to listen to and explains the routines clearly so I can keep up without watching her every minute. I am able to do the poses and not be sore the next day. The scenery and music are beautiful and soothing. I would definitely recommend this CD not only for seniors but for new beginners to yoga as well.

Pretty good video. It can be as challenging or simple as you make it, by modifying what you need to for your own level. I feel like the movements are good for beginning and advanced yoga or basic fitness minded people (I am 53, having some knee issues and am overweight). Glad I found it and listened to the reviews. One thing that is inconsequential to the quality of the exercise, but just annoys me, is the "interview" part. It seems Barbara is reading a prompter, and completely uninterested or aware of the words she's saying... or perhaps it was just edited and that was the unfortunate result. But no matter, luckily one doesn't have to see/her that more than once. Whew. I plan on enjoying this work out for years to come, though.

This is a nicely produced DVD, filmed in a nice setting, and the teacher is good. But I was disappointed in several ways. First, with 8 routines I was expecting more variety. I did 6 of the 8 and found that there is a lot of overlap between them. For example in the 45 minute "general practice" there are 10 poses. In the 50 minute "seated practice" there are 12 poses, but 7 of these are exactly the same as in the "general practice". I found this redundancy a bit boring. More important than that though is the fact that there are SO many muscles and joints in the human body that need to be worked and stretched to keep the entire body strong and healthy. The limited number of poses included on the DVD simply do not work the entire body and put all the joints through their full range of motion, and does not take advantage of all that yoga has to offer.In the introduction to the Osteoarthritis section, she says that the practice will be targeting flexibility and balance. Yet there wasn't one single balance pose in this section. I only recall there being one balance pose on the whole DVD, and very little strength work for the feet and ankles. For a DVD that targets the over 50 age group I felt this was a serious omission. Falls are one of the primary reasons seniors lose their confidence & independence, and end up in hospitals. The only way to maintain good balance is to work at it, and this DVD missed a good opportunity to help people.I also think some of the poses will be difficult for a lot of people over 50. For example in the osteoarthritis section she includes the leg position of the cow-face pose, which is done sitting on the ground, legs crossed, feet alongside the hips and the knees stacked on top of each other. Many people do not have the skeletal structure to be able to do this, regardless of age or whether or not they have arthritis (everyone's skeleton is unique). Hips are complex structures that can and should be moved in a wide variety of ways, and there are dozens of easy yoga poses to do this. I was disappointed that of the two hip openers included in this section, one is inaccessible to most older people.On the plus side, her voice is pleasant, the pace is relaxing, and her instructions are good. Her guided relaxation is wonderful. But I have been practicing yoga for over 35 years, work with middle age and senior populations, and have a strong background in anatomy, which probably makes me look at these things more critically.

This DVD is wonderful for those of us over 50. Barbara Benagh moves slowly through the routines and gives modifications throughout for inflexibility. She has a soothing voice that really helps me focus on my yoga practice rather than just going through the motions. The entire series is beautifully produced with peaceful settings and soft, non-intrusive background music. I also love that there are so many routines included on one disc. I can choose to do one or several in one session. I suffer with Tendonitis in my shoulders and wrists and never felt as though these were being exacerbated. She uses a folded blanket and yoga blocks throughout making it easier to reach each pose comfortably. Highly recommended.