Level 3 yoga for older adults

Make your yoga classes more inclusive for older adults with our adapting yoga for older adults programme.

older adults performing yoga
older adults performing Yoga

Become a yoga for older adults specialist teacher.

Discover how to tailor your yoga practice to better meet the needs of an ageing population with the industry's most flexible yoga for older adults course. You can complete this programme as a full regulated qualification or as a professional development workshop.

  • Flexible online learning:

    Study from home with no need to attend

  • Expert tuition:

    Award-winning tuition and support from experienced professionals

  • Widely recognised:

    YMCA Awards certified and CIMSPA endorsed

YMCA Awards Logo WhiteCIMSPA Logo White

Book your place for only £100 deposit

Book your place for only £145

Choose Your Study Method

Online Exam

For those with a computer and internet access

Test Centre Exam

For those nearby to one of our venues

Once you've completed your booking you'll be sent an email to arrange your online exam

£425


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Payment Options

  • Pay in full

    Total payable £403.75 5% discount £21.25
  • 6 month payment plan

    1 x £55 and 5 x £54 Minimum deposit £100 Total payable £425

Course overview: Yoga for older adults teacher training

Are you a yoga teacher keen to learn about the physical, mental and emotional challenges facing older adults? Do you want to make your yoga classes safer, more inclusive and more effective for your older participants? If so, our Level 3 Adapting Yoga for Older Adults course is definitely for you.

Become an in-demand yoga teacher who is able to meet the specific needs of older participants by completing this Level 3 Award in Adapting Yoga for Older Adults course. Combining a fully regulated YMCA qualification with our bespoke online yoga for older adults’ content, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of how you can tailor your classes to be safer and more inclusive for the ageing population.

The latest figures show that life expectancy continues to rise and could in fact reach the late 80s by 2030. People are not just living longer, but they are also staying active and looking after themselves. Because of this, the demand for exercise professionals able to work with the older adults special population continues to increase.

Our level 3 yoga for older adults has been specially designed to enable yoga teachers to safely plan and deliver classes that cater to the specific needs of the older population. It provides a fantastic CPD opportunity for those currently teaching, or any new professionals wishing to widen their portfolio of skills.

If you aren’t currently teaching yoga but you’re interested in getting qualified, you can of course combine this programme with one of our yoga teacher training courses and study both programmes alongside each other. Feel free to get in touch with our careers advisors today if you need information on how you can make this happen.

  • Qualification vs. workshop

    In the spirit of flexibility, and to ensure that as many yoga professionals as possible are eligible to enrol on this programme, we have two different pathways available with this course; regulated qualification and an online workshop.

    The regulated qualification leads to a full Ofqual approved qualification that is certificated by YMCA Awards and fully endorsed by CIMSPA. This pathway combines the Level 3 Award for Adapting Exercise for Older Adults with the Level 3 Adapting Yoga for Older Adults to provide yoga professionals with a compressive understanding of how to tailor yoga to meet the diverse and complex needs of an aging population. This route requires students to possess a regulated fitness industry qualification, as is commonplace in the fitness industry.

    The online workshop has been designed to meet the needs of more holistic yoga teachers that hold non-regulated qualifications, like the Yoga Alliance Professionals Registered Yoga teacher Programme (RYT) for example. The online workshop is also suited to those who love yoga and want to get a better understanding how to modify their own practice for this population.

  • Entry requirements

    This course has been specifically designed for qualified yoga teachers looking to specialise in adapting their yoga sessions to better meet the needs of older clients.

    However, if you don't hold a Level 3 yoga qualification Level 3 yoga qualification but you are a qualified fitness instructor at level 2 or above, then will still be eligible to enrol because the YMCA qualification part of this programme (Level 3 Award in Adapting Exercise for Older Adults) only requires a level 2 fitness instructor qualification.

    The CPD component of this programme focuses exclusively on yoga and so if you have limited knowledge of this style of exercise, then you may be at a disadvantage.

    Please note: If you don't already hold a regulated yoga teacher training qualification, or you haven't got at least a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instruction, then you should select the workshop option above when booking.

  • Accreditations

    This Level 3 Award in Adapting Yoga for Older Adults is certificated by YMCA Awards and is a fully regulated Ofqual qualification. It's also endorsed by CIMSPA.

    The Adapting Yoga for Older Adults online workshop has been developed by our expert team of yoga professionals to meet an ever-increasing need for skilled yoga teachers capable of supporting the older clients. On completion of this, you'll receive a YMCA Awards endorsed and HFE certificate.

  • Learning materials

    To support you in achieving the YMCA Awards qualification, you'll receive a comprehensive training manual, both print and digital copies, a detailed study guide, and a series on online practice assessments for you to test your knowledge along the way.

    To support the yoga for older adults workshop, you'll have access to interactive online learning content that will provide more detailed and specific information on asana postures and pranayama breathing practices that are safe and effective, and those that are not and why. There are also a wide-range of practical videos demonstrating how you can modify asana and pranayama for this population.

  • Career and progression

    Once you've completed this programme, you'll have the knowledge and skills, not to mention the qualification, to go out into the active leisure sector teaching yoga to older participants with absolute confidence that what you are teaching is safe, effective, and having a positive impact on your clients.

    If you are still hungry for more knowledge and qualifications, you could always consider taking our Level 3 Yoga for Pre and Postnatal Clients, or our Level 4 yoga teacher training course.

Payment Options

We take pride in our ability to offer programmes that uphold impeccable standards, are widely accessible and are diverse in content.

As a training provider with extensive experience and expertise, we have crafted a yoga for older adults certification that is both engaging and affordable.

Special Offers, Discounts and Deals

We are committed to quality, fairness and transparency, which is why we openly list our course prices on our website for all to see. We don’t engage in discounting, bargaining or deal-making and our price promise ensures that all our students pay the same fair price for their training and qualifications.

QualificationWorkshop

Pay in Full

£404

Get a 5% prompt payment discount
when you pay your fees in full.

Buy Now, Pay Later

£425

Term: 6 months

Buy now and pay later with
our INTEREST FREE payment plans.

Purchase Order

£425

Provide a purchase order on enrolment
and settle the invoice within 30 days*

*Only available for business bookings and subject to the appropriate due diligence.

Pay in Full

£145

Get a 5% prompt payment discount on orders with a value over £200.

Purchase Order

£145

Provide a purchase order on enrolment
and settle the invoice within 30 days*

*Only available for business bookings and subject to the appropriate due diligence.

With you every step...

When you choose to study with HFE, there's one thing you can count on...fantastic support. Throughout your studies and beyond, our team of passionate, energetic and experienced Learning Support Tutors will be on hand to answer any questions you might have. Got a question about exam preparation? No problem! Want some advice on how to market your classes to older clients? Done!

Here are some of the more typical ways we provide support to our students:

  • Phone

  • Email

  • Video call

  • Webinar

HFE support tutor on phone in HFE head office

What you'll learn

Our yoga for older adults course is specifically designed to allow you to teach yoga to older clients, and to do so in a safe and effective manner. The course includes a wide range of subjects, including:

  • The ageing process

    Theories of ageing
    Anatomical and physiological ageing
    Chronological and biological age
    Benefits of exercise in the ageing process
    Healthy eating and nutrition
    Musculoskeletal changes
    Mental, emotional and cognitive changes

  • Supporting older adults in exercise

    Behaviour change and motivation
    Motivational interviewing
    Functional assessments for older adults
    Health and safety matters
    Communicating effectively
    Lifestyle and social support
    Marketing to older adults

  • Common medical conditions associated with age

    Pathologies of ageing
    Diabetes and ageing
    Frozen shoulder
    Hypertension
    Osteoporosis
    Osteoarthritis
    Rheumatoid arthritis
    Depression

  • Planning and teaching yoga to older adults

    Screening and risk stratification
    Warning signs and red flags
    Postural disorders in older adults
    Adapting yoga asana for older adults
    Adapting yogic breathing for older adults
    Contraindicated yoga exercises

Physiotherapist lecture on iPhone screen

*Images and videos are for illustration purposes and may not depict specific course materials.

A yoga career without limits

Join the thousands of HFE yoga graduates who are now teaching yoga in some of the UK's leading health and fitness facilities, including:

Virgin Active gym logo
Nuffield logo
Places Leisure logo
Bannatyne gyms logo
NHS logo
East Riding of Yorkshire Council logo
pure gym logo
David Lloyd logo

How you'll be assessed

The Level 3 Award in Adapting Yoga for Older Adults contains a series of assessments that are designed to ensure that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to teach yogic postures and breathing techniques safely and effectively to participants that are from an older demographic. The theory exams, which are part of the YMCA qualification, can either be completed online using our secure proctoring service, or at one of our regional training venues.

If you do have a question about the assessment methods, feel free to reach out to a member of our Careers Team. Alternatively, you can watch the assessment video below.

Yoga teacher leading class
25%

Knowledge

  • Multiple-choice knowledge checks
  • Unlimited attempts
  • Embedded in course content
50%

Coursework

  • Exercise modifications worksheets
  • Older adult case-study
  • Yoga lesson plan
25%

Theory

  • Multiple-choice exam
  • Online, or at a venue
  • 70% pass mark

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