Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art, is excellent for seniors (60+) because its principles of fluid, circular movements redirecting energy instead of force build strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination without heavy impact on joints, reducing injury risk. It promotes mental focus, calmness, and self-confidence while offering adaptable self-defense skills, even learning to fall safely. The supportive community in a dojo further enhances well-being and provides a gentle yet effective way to stay active and engaged. Aikido is a physical activity that is martial but nonviolent, and while being dynamic, it offers a low-impact and force-free path to wellbeing and mental fitness.
Rediscover Movement
Dr Peter M. Wayne of Harvard Medical School and his research team have identified a surprising activity as one of the best ways for older adults to stay fit and healthy: martial arts like Aikido. Aikido is not about fighting or high-speed action, instead it focuses on low impact, mindful movements that improve balance, strength, and mental clarity.
The practice of Aikido guarantees improved balance and coordination. The fluid, circular motions and the emphasis on body awareness directly enhance balance, a crucial factor in preventing falls. It also fosters increased strength and flexibility thanks to controlled movements and joint locks, which, although modified for seniors, strengthen muscles and improve flexibility in the joints and surrounding tissues. Aikido movements create synovial fluid, which lubricates joints, and the gentle practice of rolling and falling safely helps maintain hip and shoulder mobility, which can be lost with age.
Stretching and flexibility
Stretching is a fundamental component of Aikido practice, and adapted and performed safely under the guidance of a qualified instructor, stretching can be very beneficial for seniors. Like any regular stretching routine, it can significantly improve flexibility, balance, and overall physical function, which are crucial for active aging. Regular stretching helps seniors combat the age-related decline in flexibility and joint mobility. This makes everyday tasks, like bending over or reaching for things, easier and more comfortable.
Aikido emphasizes proper body alignment and core engagement, which helps counteract the poor posture that can develop with age. By improving flexibility and balance, Aikido helps protect the body from strains and reduces the risk of serious injuries from falls. Learning how to fall and roll safely in Aikido can also be a life-saving skill. Poor balance is a major risk factor for falls in older adults. Aikido training specifically addresses this through controlled movements and proprioception, the body’s awareness of its position in space. The Lakeshore Aikido Club is one of the very few dojos that offer classes for seniors to focus on safe, low-impact training in the country!
Aikido Breathing Exercises (kokyu undo)
The mindful, deep breathing techniques (known as kokyu) taught in Aikido provide numerous physiological benefits for seniors, including reduced stress. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering the body’s relaxation response, which lowers stress levels and reduces anxiety. They also contribute to lowered blood pressure, since the consistent practice can help regulate blood pressure by reducing the production of stress hormones. Lung function can improve too because techniques like diaphragmatic (belly) breathing (hara kokyuho) strengthen the diaphragm, improve oxygen flow, and can be helpful for those with respiratory issues. Additionally, by increasing oxygen and nutrient distribution to the body’s cells, deep breathing can lead to improved energy levels and overall vitality, a strengthening of the immune system, and better sleep.
Mental Benefits
In addition to breathing, Aikido incorporates mental exercises through mindful practice that can significantly benefit seniors. Executing and remembering movement sequences, along with focusing on the present moment, help to keep the mind sharp and improve concentration and memory. Aikido practice builds self-confidence, improves calmness and helps cultivate the ability to respond with coolness to unfamiliar situations, thus fostering resilience, self-discipline, and a greater sense of confidence in daily life.
As a Japanese martial art, Aikido includes specific mental exercises in its practice such as mokuso or “silent thinking,” which at the Lakeshore Aikido Club is practiced for a few minutes at the end of each class.
A Wholesome Practice Uniting Mind and Body
By offering a tailored and mindful approach to the practice of Aikido, the Lakeshore Aikido Club gives seniors the opportunity to gain significant physical and mental health benefits. Aikido is a gentle, low-impact martial art that emphasizes fluid movement, balance, and centered breathing, making it well-suited for older adults. These practices offer significant physical, mental, and emotional benefits with a low risk of injury. The breathing and mental exercises found in Aikido are highly beneficial for seniors. Through practice, seniors can become more in tune with their bodies and their environment, which can help reduce the fear of falling.
Social Experience
In addition to physical benefits, taking part in group classes offers valuable social interaction and shared experiences, which helps combat loneliness and isolation, it can help older adults stay socially connected, an important factor in maintaining emotional health. Finally, it improves emotional well-being with its focus on peaceful resolution and blending with another’s energy, rather than fighting them. This can help practitioners manage conflicts with greater ease, developing self-confidence, and fostering a more positive outlook.
Come and join the course! Everybody is welcome!
Classes begin Wednesday January 7th 1:00-2:00PM.
Required registration deadline by and not later than Sunday December 14th. To register, please visit the Lakeshore Aikido Club website at www.lakeshoreaikidoclub.com and fill and submit the forms displayed. Additionally, Antonio Terrone sensei, chief instructor of Aikido and owner of the Lakeshore Aikido Club will be happy to answer any questions and offer a Aikido demonstration at the forthcoming celebration of “Local Small Businesses of the West Village Day” at the Heartwood Center on Saturday December 6th, 2:30-2:45pm. Come and have a chat. Don’t miss this opportunity!
