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Health Benefits
of Yoga for Seniors

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Health Benefits
of Yoga for Seniors

MORNINGSTAR SENIOR LIVING | December 15
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Assisted Living, Independent Living, Lifestyle, Rooted Blog, Senior Care, Senior Health, Senior Living |
There is a plethora of health benefits of yoga for seniors, from increased strength and flexibility, to better sleep and sharper thinking.

Most people think of yoga as an activity where you twist and stretch your body into impossible and painful positions, but it could not be farther from the truth. Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline that involves the mind, body and spirit. Practicing it regularly brings a host of surprising physical and mental health benefits for elders that can make mature living a lot more enjoyable.

Improved strength and balance


As an exercise, regular practice of yoga not only tones and strengthens muscles, it works on sharpening what is called proprioception. This is your sense of body position in space and is centered in the ankles. Because yoga's many standing poses help seniors strengthen their ankles, it can help them improve balance and become steadier on their feet. This is a huge benefit when you consider falls are the leading cause of injuries in advanced age.

Increased flexibility and mobility


Doing yoga helps lubricate joints by circulating synovial fluid. The main function is to nourish the cartilage and reduce friction between bones. Delivering more of this fluid to joints, knees, and hips makes it easier and less painful to accomplish everyday tasks and get around.

More effective diabetes management


As a form of resistance training that uses a person’s own body weight to strengthen and build muscles, yoga can help make it easier for seniors with Type 2 diabetes to manage their condition. This kind of exercise has been proven effective in regulating glucose levels by helping cells convert more sugars in the bloodstream into energy.

Stronger bones


Yoga can slow osteoporosis. This condition develops with age when the creation of new bone can’t keep up with the removal of old bone. By putting gentle pressure on the bones, yoga stimulates the production of new bone matter which is less likely to fracture in a fall.

Lower cholesterol


A majority of seniors are concerned about managing high cholesterol levels, and yoga can help them do it. Many studies have shown that practicing yoga can help lower the high levels of LDL/bad cholesterol that raise the risk of heart disease.

Weight loss


Doing gentle yoga has been proven to help seniors lose weight. Whereas typically pounds are shed by burning more calories than you ingest, other weight regulating factors are in play with yoga, including more mindful eating, reduced stress and muscle building. According to a study conducted on adults in their 50s by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, those who did yoga once a week for 4 or more years lost an average of 5 pounds.

Reduced anxiety


In terms of mental benefits, yoga puts the body into a relaxed state somewhere between being asleep and being awake which helps ease stress that would otherwise worsen high blood pressure. It also helps lower your heart rate, decrease anxiety, and improve respiration.

Elevated mood


By combining movement, controlled breathing, and meditation, yoga boosts levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA); a neuro-transmitting brain chemical with a calming effect on the nervous system. The boost in GABA promotes a deep sense of peace and well-being that can reduce the risk of depression.

Easier breathing


Seniors often have trouble breathing because their respiratory systems have slowed down or because they have a lung condition. Yoga helps people become more mindful of every breath they take. By becoming more aware of breathing and practicing specific breathing exercises, seniors can increase their flow of oxygen throughout their bodies and improve respiratory functions.

Better sleep


The relaxation benefits of yoga often stay with seniors long after the class has ended. Many older adults say that after they started practicing yoga, they were able to fall asleep faster, sleep for longer, and feel more rested the next day.

Sharper thinking


A study conducted by the International Review of Psychiatry in 2016 found that people suffering from multiple sclerosis experienced immediate positive effects in brain function after just 30 minutes of practicing yoga. Breathing exercises that focus on harmonizing the logical left and emotional right hemispheres of the brain have been shown to help clarify thought. In fact, researchers have come to believe yoga may help slow a wide range of age-related mental declines, including Alzheimer’s.

While most every kind of exercise is good for older adults, the health benefits of yoga for seniors go far beyond the physical by harnessing the combined restorative powers of the mind, body and spirit.

MorningStar Senior Living


If your loved one lives far from family and friends, it could be time to move into a senior living community near their adult children where they’ll have the companionship of fellow seniors and a compassionate service team. At MorningStar Senior Living, a 24/7 team is dedicated to offer care and hospitality services that meet each resident’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

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BRIDGE LOANS

It’s not uncommon for families to be short on funds when transitioning a loved one into a senior community. The ElderLife Bridge Loan allows you to pay for rent and care in the short term while waiting for other funds to come in. Common financial shortfalls include the time that it takes to list and sell a home, or the waiting period before receiving VA Benefits.

The Bridge Loan is designed like a line of credit, bridging the financial shortfall for up to 12 months. The loan is unsecured (no collateral needed) and approved quickly with no penalty for early payoff and affordable interest payments as low as $8 per $1000 borrowed.

To learn more about the ElderLife Bridge Loan, call 877.664.1710 or Click Here.

REVERSE MORTGAGE

When one partner needs assisted living, and the other partner chooses to remain living in a private home, a reverse mortgage may be a good solution to help pay for increased expenses. Without affecting Medicare or Social Security benefits, reverse mortgages allow a homeowner to stay in the home and withdraw from the equity that the couple has built. Mortgage holders get tax-free cash flow as a loan against that equity, a loan that doesn’t need to be repaid until the house is sold or the owner moves out or dies.

Be sure to vet lenders and their terms thoroughly before making any decision. If you would like to be connected to a trusted, licensed reverse mortgage partner, call 877.664.1710.

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE

Long-term care insurance helps pay for senior care and protect personal assets by covering expenses up to the amounts set forth in the policy. LTC insurance pays for a variety of services in senior communities, and can offer care options that may not be covered through the federal subsidies of Medicare and Medicaid (see below section).

LTC policies can be complex and it may be difficult to understand and activate your policy. If you have questions about your Long-term Care policy, call 877.664.1710 to be connected with an expert for a free policy review.

SELLING THE HOME

The equity built up in a private home is typically a retiree’s largest asset, making the proceeds from selling extremely helpful when transitioning to a senior community. However, selling a home in a timely manner can be challenging and time-consuming. This is especially true when adult children are not living near to assist.

Many families find it helpful to work with a Real Estate Professional experienced with all aspects of selling a senior’s home. From packing and cleaning to listing and selling, ElderLife’s agents are ready to assist with the entire process to simplify a senior transition. To be connected with a local agent, call 877.664.1710.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Approach Social Security (SS) benefits tactically. Historically, it was wise to take SS benefits early and invest them. Today, that’s not necessarily so. Maximized benefits may best be found through delayed retirement credits. Depending on your birth year, benefits increase by 3-8% annually. If you wait until age 70 to collect, that monthly check could increase by 25% or more. And a surviving spouse receives the entirety of that benefit upon the worker’s death, making delayed retirement credits even more valuable. Study the new rules to choose your best course.
Click here for original source info.

MEDICARE

Think of Medicare as health insurance for those 65 years and older, regardless of income. While Medicare never pays for assisted living, it is designed to help fund certain postacute expenses in the first 100 days, namely hospitalization and rehab, as long as the person’s health is improving.
Once you’ve plateaued, Medicare stops paying.

Benefits may be available for home health care, but only if certain conditions are met. Medicare Part A covers hospice (palliative care) for the actively dying, regardless of income, including in a senior living community. Click here for original source info.

In contrast, Medicaid is a federal government program that subsidizes the medical expenses (including certain health services and nursing home care) for low income people of all ages. MorningStar does not accept Medicaid. Click here for more information.

LEVERAGE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

Whole life and universal life policies build a reserve of cash through interest-earning excess premiums (known as the policy’s “cash value”). In some situations, life insurance can be a source of ready funds through cash surrender, death benefit loans, accelerating death benefits, life (or viatical) settlements, or even selling the policy on the open market for immediate cash.

Before acting on any of these methods, consult a financial advisor, as there may be tax consequences. Life Care Funding can also help you determine whether a policy can be converted. Click Here

TAX BENEFITS

The IRS allows certain deductions on a federal tax return for the cost of housing and meals of those receiving long-term care in a senior community due to chronic illness or the inability to live alone.

Assisted living residents may qualify for these deductions if a physician certifies that they have been unable to perform at least two activities of daily living (such as eating, bathing or dressing) without assistance for at least 90 days. The same deductions can apply to those who require substantial supervision due to memory impairment.

An adult child paying for a parent’s care may also qualify for the tax deductions, if the child can claim the parent as a dependent. Consult a tax advisor for further information or visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Click Here.

COMPANION LIVING

MorningStar offers Companion Living in all of our communities, where two unrelated people of the same sex share a suite, whether in independent living, assisted living or memory care.

Not only does this living arrangement enhance life by its camaraderie, it also extends savings.

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