To take up yoga in 40s?

[Ontobetterthings]

I am 40. I have started yoga at the beginning of January. I am really inflexible. Really bad. I normally just do cardio workouts.

Does anyone have any tips? Or has anyone started off yoga badly and got really good at it at this age?

I'm a runner. 55 and currently injured so I've recently started a yoga class to try and help. It definitely helps flexibility (I'm as stiff as a post😬) but I think more than one class a week ( what I do) is needed tbh.

Do it!
Yoga with Kassandra on YouTube, I find her better than yoga with Adrienne but she is popular too. They both do different lengths, just start off with a 10 minute beginner video a couple of times a week and go from there.
I am so much stronger, more flexible, in less pain. I had done it on and off years ago but was ‘off’ for a very long time. I started again in lockdown mid 40’s and I’m so glad I did.

You are never too old to start yoga. Concentrate on your breath and don’t worry about how flexible/inflexible your body is. With practice your tight muscles and connective tissue will stretch and tone. Never compare yourself to others, comparison is the thief of joy.
Yoga has many health benefits, see as part of your whole body well being life style.

I'm a yoga teacher so feel free to ask me anything :) You'll soon find your flexibility improves even with a weekly practice.

I've just started it at 63. But I am quite flexible, and have done Pilates for a few years. Maybe that might be better to start with, a good instructor will adapt things for individual abilities/ injuries etc?

I began because I needed to do some stretching after diving into Caroline Girvan, I'm doing Kassandra's evening 30 day series at the moment which are short and meant to be quite relaxing. What are you doing?

I was always the weakest stiffest person in the room. Keep going, you’ll see changes but it can take ages. I couldn’t touch my toes for about 4 years !!

I started yoga in my late 50s, had to stop after a few months because of Covid, and then started again when I was 60.

I am overweight and have arthritis in my knees and hips and week wrists. I certainly wouldn't say that I was "really good" at it. There are still things I can't do, but a couple of years on, I have improved enormously especially in relation to balance and flexibility.

I'm 62 and just started with Sara Beth (which my wife has been doing for several years) after trying Kassandra - I didn't click with her at all. I've had surgery 3 times on my knees (2xR, 1xL) and on my R shoulder (too much football, running and swimming for too many years) so almost everything is hampered in some way. The ages I was at my fittest were 42 and 55 (lane swimming 3 x 3 hrs i.e. 9 hrs a week, front crawl)... am I on my way back to another peak? I don't know. I try.

I’m 59, I’ve done Yoga for a few years, always been fairly flexible. Not sure I’m any good, but I enjoy it.
You’re so young at 40. Keep going!!

I'm mid-40s and started Pilates once a week in September, I added a second class in January.

There was one move where I genuinely couldn't lift my feet off the floor together, while others in the class had their knees up to their ears, feet as high as they can go. Before Christmas I was lifting my feet about 4 inches, now I'm getting to around 8-9. I can see progress every few weeks.

In know they are different disciplines, but I think it's worth persevering as it will get easier and you will make progress.

I've stopped comparing myself to others in the class and just focus on what I can do and how much difference I can feel. I'm never going to be good at it, but it's making a considerable and very positive difference to me.

I’d done a few classes here and there but never made it a regular habit until last summer, when aged 41 and feeling very out of shape after 2 kids and frazzled from work etc I challenged myself to do classes twice a week until Christmas. I’ve loved it - my strength and balance have really improved, but so have my energy, focus and even libido! The habit has stuck into the new year so far and I’m enjoying gradually being able to get into new poses.
I’d recommend trying a few styles and teachers but also considering convenience - finding somewhere close with flexible classes made it possible to go frequently.

I've just started at 49 - today in fact!

I really need it as my leg muscles have stiffened and shortened over the last 5 years and walking more than a mile starts to pull at the back of my knee. I'm hoping this will sort it.

I thought I had joint problems last year but a physio inspected mye and said my muscles and ligaments had just got sticky and stiff so they need regulary gently stretching to ease them all back into use.

It was def covid years - literally sat on my settee wfh for nearly 2 years 😬

I'm in my 70s and have recently started yoga, so I think 40 is nothing!

I find that daily/every other day short sessions are markedly more effective than long weekly sessions. My Pilates teacher says that twice a week is the sweet spot where you see progress and I certainly began to see a marked difference once I went from 1 to 2 Pilates classes, so I suspect that yoga might be the same.

I also find it helps my motivation to have some 'assessment' poses that I do from time to time. It's good to be able to sat 'a month ago I could do that, now I can do this', otherwise the slow but steady improvement escapes my notice.

I am 40. I have been practising for 2 years. At the start, I could not imagine doing the things I can do now. It's amazing and body-positive so I would go for it!

I am trying asana yoga and doing beginner classes. I've struggled a bit. It's quite hard. I've got a stretching band so trying to stretch most days.

Oh that is good. I am really determined to try to stick to it all year.

Yoga keeps you young!

I don’t think I started properly before 40. It really is worth sticking at.

I'm desperate to love yoga, but whenever I do any of the moves where my head is below my heart I feel really nauseous. Don't know what that's about...

40s is definitely not too old if you enjoy it!

I agree that two classes a week or shorter sessions on several days are needed to see a noticeable difference.

I'm not supposed to have my head lower than my heart for medical reasons, I tell the instructors and it is fairly easy to modify to avoid this.

I thought age 50+ was the normal age to start yoga.
You're still too young, OP.

You don’t have to be good at yoga, you just have to do it. If it makes you feel better then it’s good. Any type of movement is better than none. Yoga is amazing though 😜