Everyone's Welcome: Joining a Yoga Studio After 50

I tuck my jacket, shoes and bag in the cubby room and walk out with a mat, towel and water bottle. The intense heat envelops my body as soon as I open the door to the dark quiet room. I find a spot on the second row and roll out a pink mat, a hand-me-down from a friend. I lay on my back in savasana, a meditative pose in restorative yoga.

Weeks before running a half marathon in November 2023, pain in my feet and legs concerned me. An assessment pointed to arthritis, tight hips and a serious need to stretch my hamstrings. At about the same time, my running partner asked if I wanted to join her in a yoga class – they were offering a special for the month of October. She could bring a friend to class for free.

Although she'd been a member of this hot yoga studio since the beginning of 2023, I always said no when she asked me to join her. This time, I said yes. Worry about the aches and pains I was suffering superseded my nervousness about going to a yoga studio. I attended a slow, deep stretch class with her.

Nothing about the experience was what I expected. The preconceived notions in my head – young women with thin bodies wearing expensive yoga clothing mastering every pose in perfectly manicured feet – were replaced with a diverse group of people, men and women from various backgrounds, with all body shapes at different places in their yoga practice. I was wrong about everything. I became a member that day and have been practicing yoga four and sometimes five times a week.

Yoga's history is rooted in India and dates to more than 5000 years ago. The practice became popular in Western culture in the 1970s and has steadily increased. In 2021, 34.4 million or 10% of the population practiced yoga in the United States. Despite my assumptions, they're not all young and experienced: 38% of yoga practitioners are over 50 years old  and 39% of practitioners consider themselves at the beginner level.

My friend made it easy for me to find a yoga studio, but with more than 48,000 yoga studios in the country, how do you narrow down the choices? Louis Bryant, a registered yoga teacher, has taught at 15 different studios in the U.S. including I Am Yoga Buffalo and Evolution Yoga Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, and many others through his company, Americasana, a national teaching and community service initiative.

Bryant recommends exploring studios close to home or on the way to work. Look online or call to ask about what types of classes are offered and the level of experience needed for each one. Learn about the instructors and how they're trained. If you need a shower, an accessible entrance or want to bring a chair into the class for stability, find out the information before you head to the studio.

Try a few classes to see which ones you enjoy, Bryant says. Once you arrive, take note of how you feel: Do you feel welcomed into the community? Are there classes you want to attend?

Often, online marketplaces such as Groupon and LivingSocial offer deals, and some studios promote a package such as 20 days for $30 with unlimited classes during a specific period. ClassPass gives users the option to studio-hop within the region.

In January, when one of the studio members asked to swap phone numbers, I was pleasantly surprised. People begin yoga for many reasons – pain management, strength building, stretching and flexibility – but the social aspect may be an understated benefit. Most yoga studios provide a lobby with seating for people to gather while waiting for a class. If you go into the experience with the intention of meeting new people, you might find a community of friends.

"The social aspect has as much an impact as the physical one," Bryant said. "It can be another community where you can find connections and feel valued."

Dave White in Mooresville, North Carolina, joined a yoga studio in 2008, when he was 52 years old. He'd been searching for a way to get in better shape but more importantly, clear his mind of worry. The recession hit his company hard, and he needed an outlet for stress.

"It allows me to focus on my practice and not think about the other pressures in the world outside of that environment for 45 minutes," White said. "When I come out of class, things are more in perspective."

After my first class at the yoga studio, I Googled, "yoga etiquette," to understand the protocols in these unfamiliar surroundings. The immediate change I made was swapping out my oversized beach towel for a yoga mat towel to keep from sliding during poses. My wide leg yoga pants and tank tops from running worked fine until I was ready to invest in yoga clothing.

Barbara Agnello, co-owner operator at High Frequency Loft in Taos, New Mexico, has been practicing yoga for 25 years. The right fit and texture in your clothing may keep you supported and safe, she said. Hoods and loose clothing could make practicing more difficult. Some men wear swim trunks and take off their shirts for a hot or vigorous class, depending on studio policy.

"I strongly recommend that whatever people are going to wear, try it at home first," Agnello said. "Play around. Move your body and see if what you're wearing is going to restrict you, constrict you, make you uncomfortable and get in the way."

At the High Frequency Loft, staff welcome a new student with a tour and assess the needs of the student. "When I have someone new come in, I ask them if it's their first time at the studio or is it their first time at yoga," Agnello explained. "Then I can gauge how much I need to tell them. Do I need to tell them the particulars of my space or do I need to give them the whole 101 lesson?"

Agnello's go-to etiquette list includes showing up on time, being quiet inside the room they hold class, not wearing shoes inside the room and refrain from applying heavy perfumes or lotions before class.

Bring your own mat, yoga towel (for hot yoga), water bottle and a hand towel because they're personal items that will touch your body parts, Agnello said. Although studios typically rent mats for a small fee, if you think you'll continue practicing, consider buying one.

My inflexibility, both physically and mentally, has been a running joke with my husband for decades. Besides being among young women who can fold like pretzels, I was most worried about looking like a fool. I can't touch my toes, and I wasn't familiar with all the yoga poses.

"People think you have to automatically be the most flexible person in order to practice," said Jenna Reynolds, co-owner of Arrichion in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I think that is a big misconception about yoga."

Classes are set up for students to succeed. The instructor demonstrates in the front of the room, suggesting modifications for poses. Yoga blocks, straps or even a longer towel may be helpful to modify poses to make them accessible to everyone. The practitioner receives the benefits but without overstraining or overstretching, Reynolds says.

"Making something accessible to you and your body, that's what it's all about," Reynolds said. "You have to do what feels good for you."

Vanessa Infanzon is a freelance writer in Charlotte, North Carolina, who has wanted to write ever since reading Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew series. She runs, reads and practices yoga to keep her sense of humor and sanity while raising three young men. Read More