When we talk about healthy ageing, we usually hear the same advice:
Lift weights.
Eat more protein.
Get enough sleep.
Cut back on alcohol.
All important, of course.
But today I wanted to share a few less obvious – yet simple – habits that can have a surprisingly positive impact on your health and longevity.
And interestingly … Many of them are things yoga has quietly been teaching for years.
- Get up from the floor (and back down again)
This might sound odd, but hear me out.
Many experts now consider the ability to sit on the floor and stand back up again an important marker of our mobility, strength & future independence.
One of the beautiful things about yoga is that it regularly gets us down onto the floor and teaches the body how to move through different levels safely.
Try this:
• sit on the floor & practice crossing and uncrossing your legs then,
• press feet flat on the floor & come up to standing and slowly back down to the floor with control. See if you can do this now without using your hands.
These movements help maintain hip mobility, leg strength, coordination and balance.
- Slow down your transitions
Most injuries and falls don’t happen when we’re paying attention.
They happen when we’re rushing.
Yoga teaches us something incredibly valuable: how we move between poses matters just as much as the pose itself.
So today, try …
Standing up more slowly.
Walking upstairs with awareness.
Move mindfully as you get out of bed or out of the car.
Mindful, slow movement improves our balance, body awareness and nervous system regulation.
- Spend a few minutes every day on the floor
Not exercising.
Not stretching.
Just being on the floor.
This might be one of the most underrated habits for healthy ageing.
Think about it: when we’re children, we’re constantly sitting, kneeling, squatting, crawling and changing positions on the floor.
As adults, we spend most of our lives in chairs.
The result?
Our hips become stiffer.
Our ankles lose mobility.
Our joints stop experiencing the variety of movement they were designed for.
One of the beautiful things about yoga is that it naturally brings us back to the floor.
Try reading a book on the floor.
Watch part of your favourite programme sitting cross-legged.
Sit in a kneeling position for a minute or two.
Move between different seated positions while chatting on the phone.
You don’t need to be doing yoga poses.
Simply spending time on the floor encourages mobility, strength, coordination and body awareness in ways that chairs never can.
It’s a small habit that quietly keeps us capable.
- Breathe more deeply (especially when stressed)
Many people spend years breathing shallowly without realising it.
But our breath affects:
• stress levels
• posture
• energy
• sleep
• and our nervous system
One of yoga’s greatest gifts is teaching us how to breathe fully again.
A simple practice to try now:
Lightly place a hand on each side of your ribcage.
Now breathe in slowly & feel the ribcage expand sideways and backwards as you inhale.
Then slowly exhale & feel the ribs return to their resting position.
It’s simple.
But incredibly calming and grounding.
- Build “real life” strength
One thing I care deeply about is helping women understand that yoga can absolutely help build strength when practiced intentionally.
Holding poses like:
• Chair Pose
• Warrior II
• Plank
• Downward Dog
can strengthen muscles, support bones and improve stability.
And beyond yoga?
Carry your shopping.
Use the stairs.
Get up and down from the floor often.
Because healthy ageing isn’t about becoming smaller or more fragile.
It’s about remaining capable.
The truth is, ageing well isn’t built through extreme workouts or chasing perfection.
It’s built through the little things we practice consistently.
The way we move.
The way we breathe.
The way we care for ourselves daily.
And perhaps that’s one of the most beautiful things yoga teaches us:
Strength and softness can exist together.
With love, Nicole
P.S. One of my favourite reminders:
Yoga isn’t about forcing the body into shapes.
It’s about helping the body stay capable, resilient and supported for life.
You might also like to read: The Power of Rituals
