Too old and stiff for yoga?

[srilankadreaming]

Hi I’m in my early fifties and wanted s bit of advice from regular yogis please. Recently started yoga again after 25 year gap (!) as I’m starting to seize up. I have really achy joints and thought it’s now ‘use it or lose it’. I am really not supple and can’t even do beginner poses comfortably. I know it takes time to regain flexibility but have I left it too late? Any thoughts? Thanks.

I'm 57 now, never done yoga (I want to try it sometime but baffled by the different types!) but I've done Pilates for the last couple of years. I wonder if that might be a good thing for you to try? - there's a lot of progressive stretching as well as core strength and stability. My teachers have been very good at giving adaptations for people with differing flexibility and/or injuries. It might help get you back to being able to do the yoga.

There's no such thing as too late! Yoga is fantastic for joints, as it strengthens and reinforces the muscles around them without damaging impact.

I went back to yoga in my 40s after a knee problem that left me unable to walk. In the beginning I couldn't do anything properly in yoga class. Slowly I got better and better, soon had no problem walking, AND my back straightened as a bonus

Some yoga teachers are better than others for advising different poses to accommodate stiffness. Yoga with adrienne on YouTube is decent.
Don't expect things of your body that it isn't prepared for.
But yoga is for everyone. You just have to adapt it to your needs.

It's never too late. Find a teacher who gives lots of options for the poses. There are always modifications to make the poses suitable for people with different levels of experience, different body shapes, injuries, etc.

Part of yoga is having awareness, getting to know your own body and working within your limitations. Everybody has limitations.

The ‘30 days..’ series that Yoga with Adrienne (you tube) does are very good. They start slow and work up. There are 4 series (I think) - she does them every jan but they are all on you tube. She’s a great teacher and very encouraging for all levels.