The physical limitations that come with growing older needn't stop people from keeping fit. Seated exercise classes are perfectly suited to those who are less mobile or steady on their feet than they used to be but want to keep active. And as our video from our visit to Age UK Ealing shows, chair yoga can have a positive effect on the body and mind of those in the hot seat.
“[Older people] get the same benefits from chair yoga as they would from mat yoga,” explains instructor Mehran, who comes to Age UK Ealing every other Wednesday to run the classes. “We create harmony between mind and body by coordinating breathing and moving.”
If that all sounds quite serious, then Charlie, who attends the classes, suggests that's not the case. “We have a laugh,” he reveals. “Everybody tries to do it and I think Mehran respects that.”
“It gives peace of mind, happiness and stillness,” says Mehran of the benefits to those taking the classes.
Charlie suggests they’re even more dramatic than that. “You feel as though you’re coming alive again.”