Key Takeaways
Yoga supports both body and mind during menopause: Regular practice helps with bone density, joint health, balance, flexibility, sleep, mood, and stress management.Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) is especially beneficial: This restorative pose aids circulation, reduces restless legs, promotes relaxation, and can improve sleep quality.Community and gentle routines matter: Practicing yoga in a group (virtual or in-person) fosters connection, routine, and mental well-being, making the practice more supportive during life transitions.
For women over 50, it can feel like every corner of the body is changing—largely thanks to the menopausal transition. These changes can wreak havoc on the mind and body through side effects like insomnia, mood swings, hot flashes, skin issues, anxiety, and more.
Yoga can be an excellent way to cope with these symptoms as a fun, grounding way to move your body, stretch, build strength, and relax. “Prioritizing your health with a simple yoga practice can help you manage the emotional and physical symptoms so that you can feel like the best version of yourself, even during this transformational time in your life,” explains Melie Purdon, E-500hr registered yoga teacher and certified birthsmarter educator at YogaRenew Teacher Training. She asserts that the benefits of yoga for women in this phase of life span far wider than just the postures—it’s about the practice as a whole.
“Yoga can support bone density, joint health, balance, and flexibility by teaching the body how to bear weight well,” she says. “As hormones shift, the body changes. Weight distribution changes, centers of gravity shift, and familiar movement patterns stop working the way they used to. Yoga helps women learn how to support their body weight evenly and intelligently so joints are protected and movement stays efficient and sustainable.”
This ancient practice (yoga is thousands of years old) can also support the mental and emotional challenges associated with this phase of life. “Menopause often comes with sleep disruption, anxiety, mood changes, and that feeling of being a little less sharp than usual,” Purdon says. “The breath work, slower pacing, restorative poses, and consistent movement of yoga help regulate the nervous system and create more steadiness both mentally and emotionally.”
Plus, yoga naturally fosters community and connection, especially when practiced in a group—virtually or in person! And this is nothing to scoff at—in fact, research links socialization to increased longevity. “Showing up to class regularly builds routine, connection, and friendships,” Purdon says. “Being part of a group of like-minded people is one of the most effective ways to protect mental health during big life transitions. Yoga class becomes a place where you are seen, supported, and not alone in what you are experiencing.”
The Most Beneficial Yoga Pose for Women over 50, According to a Yoga Instructor
With this in mind, some yoga poses are more beneficial to women over the age of 50—or going through menopause—than others. If she had to choose just one, Purdon says that the most beneficial yoga pose for women in this category is Legs Up the Wall, also known as Viparita Karani.
“The hardest part of the pose is getting into it! Once you are in, it requires no effort,” she says. “Place a bolster (or pillow) long ways with a folded blanket on top. Sit sideways on the blanket with one hip touching the wall. Place your hands on the floor behind you. Roll onto your pelvis, swinging your legs up the wall. Let your spine and torso melt into the props. Let your abdomen soften and your chest relax. Rest your arms by your sides.”
And the benefits of this pose are nothing short of impressive—especially for women over 50. “This is one of the most powerful poses in the book,” Purdon says. “It relieves restless legs syndrome and helps return blood from the legs to the heart. It also has a calming effect that can help with insomnia and promote restful sleep.”
For a close runner-up, Purdon also recommends the widely-loved child’s pose, or Adho Mukha Virasana. “Sit on your shins with knees apart and toes together,” she explains. “Fold your torso forward between your thighs. Rest your forearms over a bolster or pillow. You can optionally turn the bolster long ways to support the forehead as well.”
And aside from being extremely relaxing and grounding, child’s pose honors the body in a few additional ways. “From the seated forward bend-family, this pose takes the hamstring flexibility out of the equation and helps relieve mental overstimulation and migraines,” she says. “It also helps reduce constipation and bloating.”
While these poses are just scratching the surface of all the supportive yoga poses for women over 50, they’re a great place to start—particularly for those new to or returning to a yoga practice. “When you know where to look and how to practice, yoga offers support at every stage of life—not by forcing the body to perform, but by meeting it where it is,” Purdon says.