The Yoga Aging Antidote: The Importance of Backbends for Posture Improvement and Healthy Aging

Backbends are an extremely important group of yoga postures, says Judith Hanson Lasater in this free download. In order to maintain a balanced orchestra of movement and keep the spine healthy, we need to be able to move in all directions.

However, backbends get increasingly important as people get older. With age, the spine tends to gradually curve into a forward stoop—a phenomenon that is also becoming common in younger populations in today’s sedentary society.

This causes a number of problem, Judith notes. If the pectoralis muscles and the intercostal muscles between the ribs are tight, it will impede the movement of the ribcage and therefore respiration. But we know that being able to breathe well and fully is tantamount to being able to live well and fully.

Backbends are incredibly important to stop this tendency. They stretch the pectoralis muscles, the shoulder girdle, the abdomen and the chest, and help create opening and lengthening in the front line of the body. There are even studies that indicate the backbends can help slow the progression of osteoporosis.

At the same time, for many people, backbends are the group of postures we most love to hate. Being beautiful and attention-grabbing poses, backbends are often used in photos around yoga to depict the beauty of the yoga asana. As a result, people think of backbends as too difficult and too extreme. Judith discussed the mechanics of healthy backbends and how and why backbends really can be accessible to anybody. 

Also be sure to check out Judith's upcoming course on YogaUOnline: 

Bending Over Backwards: The Why and How of Practicing and Teaching Backbends