Yoga guide
Yoga is a good way to start or keep moving after 50, whatever your fitness: it works on a mat, at a wall or with a chair, and the NHS counts it as a muscle-strengthening activity. In trials of people in their 60s and older, it improved balance, flexibility, leg strength and mood a little to moderately, about as much as other exercise. It hasn't been shown to build bone or prevent falls, so it works best alongside walking and strength training.
This guide covers how to start, what yoga does for strength, balance and bones, stiff joints, the menopause and men's health, the few poses to change until you know your bones are healthy, and a 30-minute class with every move shown in 3D. Our yoga for seniors guide covers later life, chair yoga and falls in more depth. Chest pain, feeling faint or unusual breathlessness during exercise means stop and get help: the warning signs are below.
People who became more active between 40 and 61, after years of doing little, had death rates about a third lower than people who stayed inactive, much like people who had been active all along. These are observational studies, but the UK guidance agrees: "Make a start today: it's never too late."
The UK Chief Medical Officers now say strength work should be "considered as important as achieving 150 minutes" of activity a week, and the NHS lists yoga among muscle-strengthening activities. A strong standing class can count toward your 2 strength days, though a 2026 review found yoga's strength gain was borderline once missing studies were allowed for.
In people aged 60 and over, yoga improved balance, flexibility and leg strength a little to moderately against doing nothing, and about as much as other exercise, not more. Most trials were small and unblinded, and most volunteers were women.
In 11 studies of Pilates or yoga in women aged 45 to 78, bone density didn't change. Bone loss speeds up around the last period, so add impact and strength exercise, as the Royal Osteoporosis Society advises.
Osteoporosis is not usually painful until a bone breaks, so until you know your bones are healthy, fold from the hips with a long back and leave out plough and shoulder stand, as the UK osteoporosis consensus advises. Case reports link extreme forward bending in yoga to spinal fractures.
Glaucoma is most common from 50, and head-down poses raised eye pressure within a minute in a small study, so with glaucoma or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. Yoga injuries become more common with age, and US health advice is to learn with a qualified teacher.
In 315,059 Americans aged 50 to 71, people who had been less active through most of adult life but became more active between 40 and 61 had lower death rates than those who stayed inactive (hazard ratio 0.65), much like those active all along (0.64); the authors conclude "midlife is not too late to start physical activity". In 14,599 UK adults aged 40 to 79, each step up in activity lowered death rates "irrespective of past physical activity levels". In 3,454 English adults averaging 64, becoming active went with 3.37 times the odds of ageing healthily 8 years later.
All three are observational studies, and none looked at yoga: people who take up activity may differ in other ways. The UK Chief Medical Officers say "it is never too late to gain health benefits from taking up physical activity".
Most people don't. The NHS suggests speaking to your GP first "if you have not exercised for some time, or if you have medical conditions or concerns". The warning signs below list when to see your GP before you start, such as chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness when you're active.
In the trials, classes ran 2 or 3 times a week for 8 to 24 weeks, about an hour each, mostly hatha or Iyengar-style with props, chairs and walls. Sedentary adults averaging 62 did three 1-hour hatha classes a week for 8 weeks. A flowing vinyasa programme in sedentary middle-aged women kept heart rates up for 40 minutes of each hour, so it was aerobic exercise as well.
A beginners', gentle or hatha class is a good start, or a strength or balance class if you're already active. NCCIH (the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) says "Learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks." and suggests you "Ask about the training and experience of the yoga instructor you're considering." Emergency visits for yoga injuries were more common from 45 to 64 than earlier in life, and more common still from 65, so tell your teacher about any health condition.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
Every pose on this page can be done near a wall or with a chair to hold. Use the chair for support rather than sitting through the whole class if you can stand: seated exercise alone had no effect on balance or mobility across 14 trials, and in the UK's chair yoga trial of 454 people aged 65 and over, chair classes were safe but didn't reduce falls. If standing or the floor is hard for you, our chair yoga and seniors guides start there.
Two or three times a week, as in the trials, with strength work on at least 2 days (a strong yoga class can be one) and about 150 minutes of brisk walking or similar activity a week. Give it 8 to 12 weeks before you judge it.
None of these is a reason not to start. They change what's worth training first.
Leg strength fell about 14% to 16% per decade in 120 adults aged 46 to 78 followed for about 10 years, and 2.6% to 4.1% a year in 1,880 adults in their 70s, about 3 times faster than muscle size. Strength training slows this: the Chief Medical Officers say strengthening helps "delay the natural decline in muscle mass and bone density which occurs from around 50 years of age".
In 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75, one in five couldn't stand on one leg for 10 seconds. Over a median of 7 years, 17.5% of them died against 4.6% of those who could, after allowing for age, sex, weight and health conditions. It's one observational study, 68% of them men, and it doesn't show that training balance changes the risk, but it's a good reason to train balance before it fades.
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Bone loss starts about a year before the last period and slows about 2 years after it: over 10 years, 862 women lost 10.6% of their spine bone density, 7.38% of it in those 3 years. Osteoporosis is not usually painful until a bone is broken, which is why this guide starts everyone without deep rounding.
Glaucoma is "most common in adults aged 50 and over", and the NHS says "you're more likely to get high blood pressure as you get older". Both change which poses to hold upside down. The NHS says many pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks from 40.
Range of movement can be trained at any age: across 77 studies, stretching improved it, and age made no difference to the gain, though most people studied were young. In 56 women aged 50 to 79, a weekly 90-minute hatha class for 20 weeks improved spinal and hamstring flexibility, in a study with no comparison group.
Against doing nothing, yoga improved leg strength in people aged 60 and over (effect size 0.45 in 22 trials, and similar against other activities). In people 65 and over, moderate-certainty evidence showed better walking speed and leg strength and endurance, but yoga "may not offer benefit over active interventions (for example, exercise)" (33 trials, 2,384 people).
In a 2026 review of 21 studies and 1,471 older adults, the strength estimate "was reduced to borderline significance" after adjusting for small studies that may be missing from the evidence. Quality of life held up.
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In 118 sedentary adults averaging 62, 8 weeks of hatha yoga improved chair stands and arm curls as much as a stretching and strengthening programme. In 80 sedentary middle-aged women, 6 months of vinyasa flow raised knee strength by 14.6% and aerobic fitness by 6.1% against no exercise, in one single-centre trial.
In adults aged 40 to 60, strength training improved strength and balance most, while tai chi, qigong and dance improved balance but not strength (66 studies, mostly of modest quality, none counting falls). The NHS strength advice is 8 to 12 repetitions, at least 2 sets, until "it would be difficult to do another repetition without help".
The NHS lists yoga among muscle-strengthening activities for adults and for people 65 and over. To count, an activity "needs to work your muscles to the point where you may need a short rest before continuing": a gentle class may not, a strong standing class can. For bigger strength gains, add weights or bands on 2 days a week; our guide to building muscle after 50 covers it (our reading of the guidelines and trials).
Yoga improved balance a little in 6 good-quality trials of people aged 60 and over, and moderately against inactive controls in 22 trials. In healthy adults, "low certainty evidence shows that yoga has a beneficial effect on balance". After adjusting for missing studies, the benefit for balance while moving became non-significant in one 2026 review.
Yoga's effects on falls and fear of falling were mixed across trials. What does cut falls is balance and functional exercise: it reduced the rate of falls by 24% in people 60 and over, with high certainty. The world falls guidelines note that supervised classes "such as Pilates or yoga, had the largest effect sizes in reducing concerns about falling". Our yoga for seniors and yoga for balance guides cover falls in full.
Seated exercise had "no effect on balance or mobility" across 14 trials, and in 423 trials of people 60 and over, almost every type of exercise improved balance but "stretching showed no clear benefit". Yoga's balance value comes from the standing and one-leg poses, not the stretches.
Near a wall, see whether you can stand on one leg for 10 seconds. One in five people aged 51 to 75 couldn't, in one observational study. If you can't yet, the balance poses below are a good place to start (our suggestion).
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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) falls guideline covers people aged 50 to 64 at higher risk as well as everyone 65 and over. If you've fallen or are worried about falling, ask your GP about a falls assessment (see the warning signs).
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In 11 studies of Pilates or yoga in 591 women aged 45 to 78, bone density didn't change significantly, and two yoga trials pooled showed no effect. The widely shared "12-minute" study recruited 741 volunteers online, analysed 227 who practised regularly and had no comparison group, so it can't show that yoga reverses bone loss.
"The best way to help your bone strength is to do both impact and strength exercises." The UK consensus also recommends resistance and impact exercise. Standing poses bear weight, but they're not enough on their own; our osteoporosis and bone-strengthening workouts cover the rest.
The UK consensus asks people with osteoporosis to avoid "loaded flexion or end of range movements, both during everyday life and exercise such as Pilates or yoga", and says "Rotation (twisting) movements should be safe if performed smoothly and comfortably". The Royal Osteoporosis Society says "Most people with osteoporosis can exercise safely."
Case series show what extreme forward bending can do: 9 people aged 53 to 87 had spinal fractures after yoga spinal flexion exercises, and 13 of 89 people treated for yoga injuries at one spine clinic had compression fractures. These show it can happen, not how often. So until you know your bones are healthy, hinge from the hips with a long back (our reading, from the consensus).
In 118 people aged 60 and over with a rounded upper back, 6 months of yoga 3 times a week improved one measure of the curve by 4.4% but not physical performance. The UK consensus recommends back-strengthening exercise to improve posture, which is why the class has a back block.
Stretching improves range of movement at every age studied, and strength training improved range about as much as stretching in 11 trials. Yoga improved lower-body flexibility in people 60 and over.
NICE offers everyone with osteoarthritis "therapeutic exercise tailored to their needs" and says to explain that "joint pain may increase when they start therapeutic exercise". Yoga eased knee pain, stiffness and function in pooled small trials of people aged 50 to 80, on very low-quality evidence. In 117 adults averaging 62, yoga was as good as strengthening exercise for knee pain over 12 weeks. An unsupervised online programme helped function but not pain. Our yoga for arthritis guide has the full picture.
In long-term low back pain, yoga gives "small and clinically unimportant improvements" against no exercise, and about the same as other back exercise, across 21 trials whose volunteers were mostly women in their 40s or 50s. Our yoga for back pain guide covers it.
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In 249 women keeping daily diaries, 12 weekly classes plus home practice didn't change how often hot flushes happened, but insomnia symptoms improved.
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Against no treatment, yoga lowered total menopause symptom scores (13 trials, 1,306 women); "Effects are comparable to those of other exercise interventions." A 2025 review of 24 trials found better total symptoms, sleep and mood but no difference from usual care for hot flushes. Our yoga for menopause guide has more.
In 80 women aged 40 to 50, a year of breathing-based yoga against brisk walking left follicle-stimulating hormone and DHEA-S levels unchanged. We found no trial showing that yoga balances hormones.
NICE asks clinicians to explain "the importance of maintaining muscle mass and strength through physical activity". The NHS suggests trying "relaxing things such as yoga, tai chi or meditation" for menopause symptoms.
In 240 women aged 45 to 90 with daily leaking, 12 weeks of pelvic yoga cut episodes by 2.3 a day and general stretching and strengthening by 1.9, not significantly different. Supervised pelvic floor muscle training comes first; our pelvic floor guides cover it.
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Most trial volunteers are women. In 150 veterans with long-term low back pain (74% men, average age 53), twice-weekly classes for 12 weeks improved disability at 6 months. In 50 Korean men aged 40 to 60, 12 weeks of mindfulness yoga lowered depression scores in one small trial. We found no yoga trial of strength or balance in healthy men over 50.
Men lost strength almost twice as fast as women in one large study of people in their 70s, so the strength days matter. Blood pressure and heart risk rise with age, so the heart lines in the warning signs apply. Our yoga for men, heart health and prostate guides cover the conditions.
In 30 trials of people with raised blood pressure, yoga lowered it by about 8/5 mmHg against a waiting list, with "very low quality of evidence"; against other exercise, the difference wasn't clear. Yoga goes beside, never in place of, blood pressure medicines and checks.
In a US survey of 279,885 adults aged 45 and over, people who did yoga were less likely to have two or more long-term conditions than people who did other exercise. A survey can't tell whether yoga helped or healthier people chose yoga.
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In people 60 and over, yoga reduced depression scores and improved sleep quality against doing nothing. Across trials in depression, yoga gave a moderate reduction, with confidence in the evidence rated very low; a later correction to that review "did not lead to material changes in the findings".
In 94 trials, yoga was as safe as usual care or other exercise, and yoga practitioners fell no more often than people who didn't practise. But emergency visits for yoga injuries rose with age: 11.9, 17.7 and 57.9 per 100,000 people who practise, at 18 to 44, 45 to 64 and 65 and over, mostly sprains and strains of the trunk. NCCIH says "Older adults may need to be particularly cautious when practicing yoga." Case reports of harm cluster around headstand, shoulder stand, lotus and forceful breathing.
There's no evidence hot yoga beats other yoga, and "caution is advised as case studies report ill-health following hot yoga practice". Leave it out if you have a heart condition, take blood pressure tablets that make you dizzy, or are new to yoga (our suggestion).
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Slow breathing, 2 minutes (our gentle yoga for beginners class), in for about 4 and out for about 6, with no holds. Breath reach: "5 breaths, exhale longer than inhale" (the move page's dose), arms at shoulder height if your shoulders complain.
Chair pose, 3 holds of 30 to 45 seconds, and side plank, 2 holds of 15 to 30 seconds each side with your knees down at first (both our yoga strength workout). Warrior II and high lunge, 5 breaths each side, and sit to stand, 8 to 10 slow stands (all our yoga for balance class). Wall push-up, 1 or 2 sets of 5 to 10 (our wall yoga class). They count toward your strength days when the last breaths feel hard; keep breathing in every hold.
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHigh lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall
3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipmentTree pose, 3 to 5 breaths each side, twice, with the foot on your ankle or calf and never pressed into the side of your knee; warrior III, 3 breaths each side, twice, hands on a chair back; standing hand-to-big-toe pose, 3 breaths each side, holding your bent knee; heel-to-toe stance and walk, 30 seconds each way round, then 10 steps (all our yoga for balance class). One-leg stand, 2 holds of 20 seconds each leg (our beginner Pilates over 50 class). Fingertips on a wall or counter, then less hand as you get steadier.
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior III (Virabhadrasana III)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoStanding hand-to-big-toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoTandem stance and heel-to-toe walkBeginner · A wall
3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wallSeated upper-back lift: "3 to 5 repetitions, each held 3 to 5 seconds, at least twice a week (UK osteoporosis consensus, 2022)" (the move page's dose). Locust pose, 3 to 5 lifts held 3 to 5 seconds; low cobra, 5 lifts held 3 to 5 seconds, skipped with spinal stenosis; one-limb bird dog, 5 each arm and leg, holding 3 to 5 seconds (all our yoga for osteoporosis class). Glute bridge, 6 to 8 slow lifts, not up onto your shoulders (our gentle yoga for beginners class).
Cat-cow: "8 waves, slower than feels natural" (the move page's dose), keeping the rounding small. Thoracic rotation: "6 rotations per side, moving with the breath" (the move page's dose). Hip hinge fold: "5 slow folds, 3 breaths at the bottom" (the move page's dose), the swap for every deep forward fold. Low lunge, 30 seconds each side, back knee padded; reclined figure four and supine spinal twist, 45 seconds each side (all our gentle yoga for beginners class). Strap hamstring stretch on your back, 45 seconds each side (our yoga for runners class). Downward dog with your hands on the wall, 2 holds of 3 to 5 breaths (our wall yoga class), which keeps your head up.
3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment
3D demoHip hinge foldBeginner · No equipment
3D demoLow lunge (Anjaneyasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSupine hamstring stretch with a strapBeginner · No equipment
3D demoReclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSupine spinal twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoDownward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)Beginner · No equipmentGetting up and down from the floor: "5 to 8 slow cycles down and up, changing the leading leg" (the move page's dose), with a sturdy chair beside you the first few times. Child's pose: "Hold 1 to 3 minutes, breathing into the back ribs" (the move page's dose), knees padded, with your back long rather than rounded if you have osteoporosis. Corpse pose: "Lie still for at least 5 minutes, up to 10" (the move page's dose), knees over a cushion; roll to your side and pause before you sit up.
Swap deep seated, standing and wide-legged forward folds, head-to-knee and pyramid for the hip hinge fold; fold only halfway with a flat back in sun salutations, and step rather than jump. Do boat pose with bent knees and a long back, or leave it out with osteoporosis. Leave out plough and shoulder stand, and twist smoothly. With glaucoma or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands and shoulder stands, keep head-down holds brief, and keep your hips flat in legs up the wall. From the UK osteoporosis consensus and the moves' own cautions. If a pose leaves your neck, hip or shoulder sore, our guides to neck, hip and shoulder pain after yoga cover what to change.
3D demoSeated forward fold (Paschimottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoHead-to-knee pose (Janu Sirsasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWide-legged standing forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoPyramid pose (Parsvottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoBoat pose (Navasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPlow pose (Halasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSupported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSupported headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)Expert · A wall
3D demoLegs up the wall (Viparita Karani)Beginner · A wall
3D demoHalf lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)Intermediate · No equipmentOur 30-minute class first: standing strength, balance at the wall, back strength and gentle hips, with every deep fold already swapped. It's our own selection, untested in a trial, with doses from our balance, osteoporosis and beginners classes. Then the beginners class, the balance class made harder every week or two, the strength class once ours feels easy, and the osteoporosis class if you know your bones are thin. The bone-strengthening and strength and balance workouts cover what yoga doesn't.
A 30-minute yoga class for people over 50: standing strength, balance at the wall, back strengthening and gentle hips, with no deep forward folds.
30 minBeginner19 movesBench or box, wallA 25-minute gentle yoga class for complete beginners and over-50s: slow breathing, a warm-up, supported standing poses, floor poses and a closing rest.
25 minBeginner14 movesNo equipmentThirty minutes of standing yoga for balance: strong standing poses, one-leg poses at the wall, and side steps, backward steps, reaches and sit-to-stands.
30 minBeginner16 movesWall, bench or boxThirty-five minutes of yoga built for strength: long standing holds, slow lowering from plank, single-leg balances and a band row, with harder options.
35 minIntermediate18 movesStep, bandA 30-minute yoga class for osteoporosis: standing strength, balance at a wall, back-strengthening holds and hip hinges in place of deep forward folds.
30 minBeginner19 movesBench or box, wallTwenty minutes of yoga with a wall for support: standing poses with your back to it, one-leg balances, a wall sit and push-ups, then bridges and legs up the wall.
20 minBeginner13 movesWall, stepA 40-minute beginners' yoga sequence with props: standing poses at a wall, seated poses on a blanket, two supported poses held for 5 minutes and a long rest.
40 minBeginner11 movesStep, firm cushionA 45-minute session for weight loss and health: a 20-minute brisk walk, which does more for the scales, then a standing yoga flow for strength and balance.
45 minBeginner12 movesCardio machineThirty-five minutes of standing strength, balance, back strengthening and a long relaxation for the menopause, with no deep forward folds or shoulder stands.
35 minBeginner15 movesFirm cushionA 30-minute joint-friendly yoga class for arthritis: seated breathing and joint warm-ups, standing poses with a chair, gentle lying poses and a long relaxation.
30 minBeginner17 movesBench or box, wallForty minutes of short-hold poses, slow breathing and a 10-minute relaxation, with no head-down poses or breath holds.
40 minBeginner14 movesStep, firm cushionA free 20-minute chair yoga class for older adults: slow breathing, gentle seated stretches and twists, standing poses holding the chair, and a calm finish.
20 minBeginner18 movesBench or box, something with weightImpact, strength and balance for stronger bones, following UK osteoporosis consensus advice, with options for every level.
40 minBeginner14 movesKettlebell, other / check instructionsStrength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.
45 minBeginner14 movesWall, dumbbellA 20-minute beginner mat Pilates session for over-50s with no deep or repeated rounding of the spine, plus back strengthening and standing balance.
20 minBeginner13 movesWallPlans that put strength, walking and balance into a week. Add the yoga class on 2 of the days. The seniors plan suits you from 65, or if you feel less steady.
A weekly plan for women over 50: strength, bone-loading and balance on 3 days plus walking, built on UK osteoporosis consensus advice.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week workout plan for men over 50: three strength days with power and balance work, cardio and recovery, at the gym or at home, with a 4-day option.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginnerThese are the warning signs from our yoga, Pilates over 50, yoga for seniors and back pain guides, word for word, with one line of our own. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
See your GP first if you get chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness when you are active, if you have a heart condition and want to exercise harder, or if you have had a fall.
Call 999 if:
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
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Dizzy, faint, unusually breathless, or sharp or increasing pain. Sit down until it passes, and see a GP if you keep getting dizzy or faint when you stand up.
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You're frail, have moderate to severe dementia, have had a spinal fracture or fall regularly: the UK guidelines suggest any new exercise is supervised by a trained professional at first.
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See your doctor about back pain, or a change in body shape such as losing height or a more curved back: these can be signs of a spinal fracture, though not all spinal fractures hurt.
Sudden mid or lower back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, especially from 50 or with long-term steroid tablets.
Modify or avoid exercises that round your back deeply or repeatedly, especially with a weight: sit-ups, toe touches, Pilates roll-downs and curl-ups, and extreme yoga forward folds. Bend from the hips instead. You do not need to avoid bending, twisting or lifting altogether: move smoothly and keep your upper back straight.
Twisting should be safe if you do it smoothly and comfortably. Slow down and shorten fast or forceful twists, and leave out the added weight.
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
Glaucoma UK says: "Yoga is generally safe, but moves that involve the head being lower than the heart for an extended period of time" "can increase eye pressure and should be avoided."
With high blood pressure, keep breathing in every pose with no breath holds, and come up slowly from folds and the floor (our suggestion).
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
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Unexplained back pain with muscle spasms, loss of height, or a curved spine or change in posture: a possible osteoporotic spinal fracture, more likely with older age or long-term steroid tablets.
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See a GP about any bleeding from the vagina after your menopause, even if it's only a small amount or has only happened once. It's not usually serious, but it needs checking, and you shouldn't have to wait more than 2 weeks to see a specialist.
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A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
People who became active between 40 and 61 had death rates like those active all along, and the UK guidance says "Make a start today: it's never too late." Sedentary beginners averaging 62 did well in an 8-week yoga trial.
Flexibility is something yoga trains, not something you need first: sedentary beginners improved flexibility, balance and strength in 8 weeks. Props, a wall and a chair make every pose on this page possible.
Pooled trials found no significant change in bone density, and the 12-minute study had no comparison group. Impact and strength exercise build bone.
Yoga builds some leg strength against doing nothing, but the gain shrank after allowing for missing studies, and in midlife, strength training built the most strength. The Chief Medical Officers say strength work matters as much as the 150 minutes.
It improves balance scores, but its effects on falls are mixed; balance and functional exercise cuts falls. Our seniors and balance guides cover falls in full.
Not because of age. The UK consensus asks people with osteoporosis to avoid sustained, repeated or end-of-range rounding, and says smooth twists should be safe. Until you know your bones are healthy, hinge from the hips.
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We found no evidence for this. Head-down poses raised eye pressure within a minute in a small study, and case reports of harm cluster around headstand and shoulder stand.
In the one trial we found that measured hormones for a year, they didn't change, and yoga didn't reduce hot flushes in the largest trial. It eases overall symptom scores about as much as other exercise.
There's no evidence hot yoga beats other yoga, and case studies report people becoming unwell after hot classes.
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Yes, as part of the strength and balance work adults are advised to do. In trials of people in their 60s and older, it improved balance, flexibility, leg strength and mood a little to moderately, about as much as other exercise. It hasn't been shown to build bone, so pair it with walking and strength training.
Yes. People who became active in midlife had death rates like those active all along, and the UK guidance says it's never too late to start. Begin with a beginners' class or our 30-minute class, with a wall and a chair in reach.
Usually not for gentle exercise. See your GP first if you get chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness when you're active, have a heart condition and want to exercise harder, or have had a fall. Get advice first, too, if you have a health problem or have recently had an operation.
Yes. It eased overall menopause symptom scores about as much as other exercise and helped sleep, though it didn't cut hot flushes in the largest trial. For your bones, add strength and impact exercise, because bone loss speeds up around the last period.
Yes, though few trials include men. Men lose strength faster with age, so keep up strength training alongside yoga, and choose a teacher who adapts poses if your hamstrings or hips are tight. Our yoga for men guide covers more.
The NHS lists it as a muscle-strengthening activity, as long as the poses work your muscles until you need a short rest. Strong standing poses and planks can do that. For bigger strength gains, add weights or bands on 2 days a week.
None just because of your age. Until you know your bones are healthy, swap deep forward folds for a hinge from the hips and leave out plough and shoulder stand. With glaucoma or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds.
Two or three times a week is a good start, as in the trials, alongside strength work on 2 days (a strong yoga class can be one) and about 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or similar. Give it 8 to 12 weeks.
Often, yes. Flexibility can be trained at any age, and in knee osteoarthritis yoga eased pain and stiffness in small trials and did as well as strengthening exercise in one trial. Some joint pain at the start is normal; pain that's sharp or worse the next day means an easier version.
Usually, with changes. Keep breathing, don't hold your breath, and skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds if your blood pressure isn't under control or you have glaucoma. Yoga may lower blood pressure a little, but it doesn't replace your medicines or checks.
Yes. Yoga works at any size, with props, a wider stance and chair versions, and our yoga for bigger bodies guide shows how to adapt the poses. It's good for strength, balance and wellbeing; our yoga for weight loss guide explains what it can and can't do for weight.
No trial has compared them in this age group, and both improve balance against doing nothing without building bone. Choose the one you'll keep doing, and add strength training either way. Our Pilates over 50 guide covers the other side.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
