Private yoga and chair yoga at home in Glen Ridge, NJ

For the days in between

The Glen Ridge Senior/Community Center runs weekly exercise programs, and for many people that's the social highlight of the week. In-home yoga can fill the gaps. It's one on one, so the instructor can slow down on the moves that are hard for you and skip the ones that don't suit your body.

It's also good for winter. When the sidewalks are icy and it's dark by half past four, an hour of stretching and breathing in your own living room is a good way to keep moving.

What chair yoga looks like

You sit near the front of a sturdy chair, feet flat. The instructor walks you through gentle neck and shoulder rolls, reaching arms overhead, side stretches, seated twists, ankle circles. Then some standing work holding the back of the chair, if that's comfortable. It finishes with a few minutes of slow, steady breathing.

Gentle mat yoga is an option for people who can get down to the floor and back up without trouble. The instructor will ask, and suggest whichever version is right.

Over a few weeks, the routine starts to feel familiar, and the instructor can add a bit more: a longer hold, a standing balance with one hand on the chair, a slower breath count. Progress is modest, and that's fine. Most people simply notice they feel looser.

A quiet room and a window

Older Glen Ridge homes often have a sunroom or a front room with big windows. That's ideal. You need a chair without wheels or arms, enough space to stretch your arms out, and a little quiet. Some instructors bring a mat, a strap or a block, and their profile will say.

After a session, a slow walk along the Glen bike path off Bloomfield Avenue, by the brook and under the trees, is a nice way to stay in that calm frame of mind. It's flat and short, perfect for after yoga.

Some instructors leave a short printed routine for the days between visits. Five minutes in the morning with a cup of coffee cooling on the side table is a realistic habit, and it's the kind that tends to last.

Booking

Instructors set their own rate between $50 and $150 an hour. Most yoga visits are one hour. Book a single session to try it, or four weeks at the same time, or every week until you cancel. Yoga isn't a medical treatment, so if your parent has had a joint replacement or has back trouble, mention it in a message and check with the doctor first. The instructor's note after each visit lets the family know how it went.