Discover the mental and physical benefits of yoga

Physical Health

Yoga can improve cardiovascular health, possibly lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, as well as heart rate. Researchers measured two indicators of heart disease in middle-aged people — blood numbers and waist circumference. They noted improved results among those who practiced yoga for three months. They also followed patients with heart failure and noticed improved exercise capacity among those who participated in an eight-week yoga program.

Yoga can lower blood sugar levels for those with Type 2 diabetes. Yoga mindfulness practices seemed to lower sugar levels as effectively as medication.

Yoga improves physical fitness and strength. A recent study found that those who practiced yoga twice a week for 90 minutes per session had greater muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Yoga improves balance and flexibility and enhances coordination. This is important as people age, because it provides increased mobility and prevents falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults over 65.

Yoga reduces pain. One study showed that people suffering from back pain saw relief through yoga practice. Two 90-minute practices twice a week led to a 56- percent reduction in pain. Those people who used yoga to reduce their pain also seemed less likely to rely on pain medication. Gentle yoga several times a week also reduced arthritis sufferers’ pain and stiffness.

Does yoga make you think about handstands and backbends?

While it’s true that the practice has been associated with challenging balance and flexibility positions, yoga isn’t limited to advanced practitioners. The intensity of yoga is adjustable, making it a form of exercise that can be practiced by anyone, at any level.

Yoga gained popularity in the western world during the late 20th century. While there are many forms of yoga practice, they all focus on the mind-body connection through breathing, mindful meditation, and postures. It doesn’t matter which yoga practice you choose — they all provide multiple physical and mental health benefits.

Mental Health

Yoga improves attention, processing speed, executive function, and memory in both children and adults. The practice encourages brain cells to develop new connections, improving cognitive skills such as learning and memory.

Yoga can protect against cognitive decline. Researchers studied the brains of people who practiced regularly and found a thicker cerebral cortex and a thicker hippocampus. These parts of the brain — which are associated with information processing, learning, and memory — shrink with age. Researchers found the shrinkage to be less for yoga practitioners.

It improves cognition in older adults. Researchers studied a group of 79 women over the age of 50 who had reported symptoms of cognitive decline. The women were divided into two groups. One group practiced a form of gentle yoga every day for 12 weeks. The other group participated in a seminar where they learned memory-training strategies, also for 12 weeks. In the follow-up exam, those who participated in the yoga group found they experienced fewer forgetful moments than those in the memory-training group.

Yoga reduces anxiety and improves mood. All exercise improves mood by lowering stress hormones and releasing endorphins, but yoga goes even further by releasing a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This has the potential to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Yoga has been used as an add-on treatment for those suffering with PTSD. The deep breathing exercises in yoga practice induce a calmer state, reduce intrusive thoughts, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 934)