A story and photo has been floating around Facebook. It features a lady in her 80s who had posture which bent her forward and rounded her upper back, like a dowager’s hump. A second picture showed her standing erect with perfect posture.

The story says she was in pain from the poor posture and nothing she did changed her level of discomfort. So on her own she tried yoga and attributes yoga to her changed posture.

So if it’s on the internet it’s true right?! While that level of postural change may be attainable, what I strongly emphasize to my class participants is comfortably attainable erect posture and to improve flexibility.

The aging process doesn’t bypass anyone. Personally, I am in awe of the small changes I see in myself every day. It is a constant battle, sometimes lost, to maintain flexibility in the joints and muscles required to move our bodies through space with the ease. When our posture is out of proper alignment the mass which you are propelling along becomes “heavier,” requiring more physical energy just to walk. Pair that with stiffened joints that no longer move as they were designed and less flexible muscles, movement becomes even more taxing. A forward head posture, where the neck reaches forward, lifting the chin and taking the normal curve out of the neck, over time draws the body out of alignment.

Our car seats, recliner chairs, using the computer, different pain patterns can feed into bad posture habits and movement patterns.

Let’s look at a few basic yoga positions or stretches that can help to improve erect posture, done standing, using a wall for balance or seated in a chair.

For a Half Moon pose, stand with arms at your sides and feet hip-width distance apart, breath in and sweep the left arm up toward the ceiling. Breathe deeply and exhale fully. Allow your right arm to be “heavy” by your side. Focus on standing evenly on both feet. Hold and breathe three-to-five more times, slowly. Repeat on the other side. The stretch can be done seated, keep both feet and both sides of the butt evenly on the chair. Standing with the back against the wall may give you a key to how straight your posture is.

A great hip stretch comes with Half Lord of the Fishes pose. For beginners and those with hip issues, this exercise is best done in a chair. Sit tall and evenly with feet balanced on the floor, hip width distance. Try not to lean against back of chair. Twist to the right, bringing your right hand to the back of the seat and the left hand on the thigh above the knee. Strive to look over your shoulder and hold breathing deeply for three-five breaths.

Lay flat on the floor, very close to a wall (butt touching the base of wall) and the legs fully extended straight up the wall. For an option, place your lower legs on the seat of a chair. Image sitting very tall in a chair, feet on the floor and falling over backward, to be in the correct position. These are relaxing for the back and assist in venous circulation.

With your medical providers blessing, try a yoga class for seniors or beginners. Popular ways to sneak postural improvement in through dynamic movement and stretching are aqua exercise, Tai Chi and dancing. The senior center, gyms, local yoga studios and the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District have classes designed for seniors to attain and maintain flexibility and improve posture.

— Robin Gaudette is the aquatics wellness coordinator at the Redmond Area Park and Recreation District. Contact her at robin.gaudette@raprd.org.