Sit and Stretch

How chair yoga makes exercise easy

- Leah Rumack

I USED TO BE fit. Almost-dare I say-sporty? I ran, played tennis, did Pilates, rode my bike everywhere and actually used my gym membership. But thanks to a mounting list of injuries and the creaky indignities of middle age, the most vigorous workout I do these days is walking around the block or stretching in front of the TV. But when I came across a big European study touting the benefits of chair yoga for seniors, which included better overall physical health and even strength building, I decided to try it (even though I'm not technically yet a Golden Girl.) Doing yoga for 15 minutes a day—unlike the intense ashtanga yoga that I used to do for TWO HOURS (!?) in another life-seems right about my speed these days.