Yoga | Silver Magazine

Fitness

Move More, Hurt Less

5 Low-Impact Exercises to Keep You Active and Independent For many Canadians over 50, the idea of “exercise” evokes images of high-impact sports and strenuous gym sessions that feel more intimidating than inspiring. However, the truth is that maintaining an active lifestyle is less about pushing your limits and more about finding a rhythm that suits you. Low-impact exercise offers a powerful and sustainable approach to maintaining mobility, strength, and independence for years to come. It helps manage chronic conditions, improves mental well-being, and, perhaps most importantly, builds the strength and balance needed to prevent falls—a primary concern for older adults. The key to success is to move your body in a way that is kind to your joints. By incorporating these low-impact activities into your weekly routine, you can reap all the benefits of exercise without the wear and tear. 1. Water Aerobics and Swimming There’s a reason why

Staff August 5, 2025

Cover Story

Life Changing Exercises

These are our top 5 exercises you can do to not only stay fit but also maintain your flexibility and overall health after 50. #1 Squats Squats are a game-changer for the human body. You do squatting every day — sitting down and standing up is the most basic version of this exercise. So, if you can sit on a chair, you can squat! Three Levels of Squats: Beginner: Sit down and stand up 6 to 12 times without using your hands. Try to stand up as soon as your butt touches the chair. Intermediate: Try deep squats without a chair, focusing on maintaining balance and control. Advanced: Hold light dumbbells at your sides while squatting to add resistance. Super Advanced: Squats with heavier resistance using a weighted bar. 💡 Secret Nugget: Try doing this three times, twice a week, and you’ll notice significant changes in your strength and balance!

Staff April 1, 2025

Cover Story

Navigating Menopause With Yoga

Menopause can feel like a tumultuous journey, with its array of symptoms and emotional roller coasters. However, finding tranquility amidst the storm is possible. For me, yoga has been a guiding light through this transitional phase. As a 200-hour registered yoga instructor, I’ve discovered how specific postures can alleviate menopausal symptoms, promoting mental peace and maintaining physical balance. Menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and insomnia were overwhelming. I felt disconnected from my body and struggled to find a sense of calm. I turned to yoga more earnestly during this challenging period than ever before. Yoga had always been a part of my life, but it became my sanctuary during menopause. The practice helped me manage my symptoms and restored my sense of self. Yoga offers a multitude of benefits for menopausal women. The postures and breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic

Andrea Berlin Schwartz September 1, 2024

Westin Nova Scotian – Wellness Activities, Destinations and Excursions

The Westin Halifax Hotel: Your Halifax Wellness Basecamp Nestled in the heart of the Seaport District of the charming city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, The Westin Nova Scotian Hotel offers deluxe accommodations and convenient access to a range of wellness activities catering to both relaxation enthusiasts and activity seekers. Whether you’re a traveller looking to unwind or someone dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the neighbourhood of The Westin Halifax Hotel is brimming with options to nourish your well-being. 1. Halifax Waterfront Walk: A Refreshing Stroll Step out of The Westin Nova Scotian Hotel and embark on a stroll along the iconic Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk. Stretching for approximately 2.5 kilometres, this scenic path hugs the waterfront, offering stunning views of the harbour and bustling marine activity. Take in the fresh sea breeze and let the soothing sounds of lapping waves create a tranquil ambience. A simple walk along the waterfront

Staff September 15, 2023

Travel

Melia Punta Cana Beach Resort, Wellness Inclusive

Tainoti. That is the official greeting here at Melia Punta Cana Beach Resort, in the Dominican Republic. In the traditional Taino language, “tainoti” means “I greet you with love because you are family.” The history and culture of the Taino – the island’s indigenous people – is woven into the fabric of this adults-only, all-inclusive resort. For instance, each day a local expert visits the resort to share his or her passion or expertise about the local culture with interested guests. As the Editor of Travel to Wellness and the President of the Wellness Tourism Association, I visited recently to learn more about this WTA member, and to experience their new Wellness Inclusive concept. Built on five spaces of wellness: social spaces (activities), silent spaces, sensory spaces, culinary spaces and personal spaces, along with a significant respect for nature and exploring the local culture, the program launched in January of

Anne Dimon February 9, 2023

Fitness

Post-Pandemic Anxiety & Yoga Therapy

We’ve longed to be out and about, but for many post-pandemic anxiety is taking the joy out of life. Therapeutic yoga can help. After the intensity of two years waiting out this global pandemic and months of praying, begging and pleading to the powers that be to ease restrictions, a brand-new fear arose. What will it be like to step back out into the world again? Most of us expected that once openings were announced, all our anxieties would slip away. Yet for many, it only made them increase. After living so long under stay-at-home-orders, social distancing and no group gatherings, including with our loved ones, we’ve become like prisoners tasting freedom for the first time, grateful, overwhelmed, and maybe even afraid all at the same time. This is exactly how I felt and I was surprised. Where being out and about amid the hustle of people all around was

Lisa Greenbaum April 4, 2022

Health

Morning anxiety and the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)

Morning anxiety is common for people with and without anxiety disorders.

Yasmin Missaghian February 14, 2022

Mind

Mental Health for the Holidays

COVID-19 changed our predictable routines, necessitating remote work arrangements, physical distancing, and wearing masks. Everything from shopping to attending sports and social events now necessitates planning. Add workload, traffic congestion, home schooling, and alcohol to the mix and you have a sure-fire recipe for frayed nerves and lost tempers. According to a Canadian Association for Mental Health survey of 1000 adults in March 2021, 20.9 per cent of respondents indicated moderate to severe anxiety levels, 20.1 per cent reported feeling depressed, and 21.3 percent reported feelings of loneliness. Mental health and addictions admissions in Nova Scotia Health Central Zone more than doubled between April – June 2020 (191) and April -June 2021 (458). These mental pressures often worsen during the Holiday Season as people try to maintain family traditions, shop for gifts, and socialize at home and at work. As waiting lists for mental health treatment are often years long,

Ian MacVicar November 15, 2021

Longevity

We all deserve happiness

While we mainly look at Yoga in the west as a source of exercise that additionally makes us feel calm and centered, there are many ways to practice Yoga off the mat that don’t involve movement at all. In saying this, please know I continue to value and promote physical exercise – we must keep our bodies strong and mobile for our overall health and wellbeing. Yoga is the 6,000 year-old science of the mind and is experienced as a stilling of our thoughts, or ending the ceaseless chatter in our minds. A revered Yoga sage and guru from 1450 BCE by the name of Patanjali explains that reaching this quiet space in the mind is done through non-attachment and practice. Practice, in reference to the eight limbs of Yoga which includes: social and personal ethics, physical poses, breathwork and meditation. However, I find the concept of non-attachment powerful. That

Lisa Greenbaum October 8, 2021