No matter your age or physical abilities, yoga can help improve balance and stability, reduce pain levels, build bone density, maintain flexibility and keep joints flexible. Furthermore, its practice can be tailored specifically to suit each person.
Yoga has long been misunderstood; however, many have an inaccurate perception. Yoga does not involve holding impossible physical postures – rather, the practice combines breathwork with physical postures in order to energize both body and mind.
1. Strengthens Muscles and Bones
Studies have demonstrated the power of yoga to build muscle strength and endurance, thus decreasing the risk of falls and fractures.1 Certain yoga poses such as Seated Spinal Twist Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) and Forward Bend (Uttasana) exert pressure similar to weight training by stimulating bone-building osteoblast cells while breathing techniques and relaxation practices reduce cortisol production – the stress hormone responsible for breaking down bone.
Yoga also improves balance and coordination, which reduces the risk of falls, injuries and other health problems associated with aging. A study published in 2015 in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation revealed that 12-week yoga program proved effective at improving posture, balance, range of motion, flexibility and strength – all factors which reduce falling risks.
Yoga also contributes to increased bone density and health as people age, something many find alarming. A study published in 2016 in Osteoporosis International demonstrated this benefit with women practicing yoga exhibiting increased bone formation rates while experiencing reduced rates of bone resorption than women who didn’t engage in yoga practices.
This study included women over 50 experiencing some level of osteoporosis who were randomly assigned either a yoga group or control group; however, due to participants already practicing yoga in this trial study being more representative of general population, more research needs to be completed in order to confirm its findings.
Yoga offers numerous health and mental benefits in addition to physical ones, including breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness practices. Yoga has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety which in turn helps slow down natural aging processes within the body. Furthermore, it’s an excellent source of vitamin D, helping prevent bone loss while increasing bone health2.2
2. Improves Balance and Coordination
Yoga is an effective way to strengthen balance and coordination, which can help the elderly avoid falls. According to research conducted on older adults who practiced yoga for four weeks, they experienced significant increases in balance confidence and stability compared to those who didn’t. Yoga was found to significantly enhance balance performance among those over 65; these improvements occurred both spinally and hiply–areas most susceptible to fracture.
Yoga may improve balance due to increasing muscle mass, which has been associated with greater mobility and reduced frailty risk. According to researchers, balance may also be improved by its many movements – specifically poses like Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Warrior III (Trikonasana) strengthen legs and ankles for enhanced balance, and increase blood flow and oxygen to joints that reduces inflammation and swelling.
Yoga can also improve cognition and memory. According to a meta-analysis of 15 RCTs, yoga was found to have a moderate impact on cognitive function among older people – this improvement can be found across several domains such as global cognition, attention/processing speed/executive function/memory.
Researchers have investigated whether yoga can enhance known predictors of longevity, such as walking speed and leg strength. A recent Annals of Internal Medicine study demonstrated that yoga helps enhance these metrics – as well as leading to quicker healing after illness.
These studies involved randomized controlled trials that assessed static or dynamic balance outcomes, confidence levels, self-efficacy levels and/or fear of falling. Yoga interventions used varied, yet all included sitting meditation and physical yoga postures as therapies. Some programs offered both chair and standing yoga, while others included only one form. The study authors found that chair-yoga programs provided financially and spatially undemanding, easily accessible, safe exercise options to promote balance in daily life for seniors. Yoga may have even shown promise as an anti-ageing treatment by increasing insulin receptor expression and hepatic lipoprotein lipase activity – two measures known to have beneficial impacts.
3. Reduces Stress
Yoga is a form of physical exercise that combines postures, breathing exercises, and meditation into a complete workout program. Studies have demonstrated how Yoga improves balance and flexibility while decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety levels and stress levels in participants. Furthermore, oxygen levels within the body increase, which is vital for cardiovascular health.
Stress has many detrimental effects on our bodies, from producing hormones that contribute to arthritis and other chronic conditions to depression and anxiety. Yoga has been proven to reduce stress levels significantly, helping prevent these conditions while simultaneously building self-esteem – both of which are key elements in managing emotional effects of stress and anxiety.
Studies have demonstrated the power of yoga to boost cognitive function in older adults. One research project demonstrated moderate improvements in global cognition for those practicing yoga compared to control groups; another study demonstrated how regular practice of yoga enhanced memory and executive function. It is likely due to reduced stress and anxiety levels associated with yoga practice that can help people feel more relaxed and focused during practice sessions.
Yoga can be an effective addition to other methods for managing stress, such as talk therapy or medication. Research reveals that most people who practice yoga do so to manage their stress; one study discovered this phenomenon among those under 60; those engaging in it primarily to reduce their stress were more likely to focus on cluster 4; in contrast, long-time practitioners often cite specific health needs as motivation for practice.
No matter your age or body type, beginning a yoga program never goes amiss. Beginning early can have many positive outcomes on health and activity throughout your lifetime – from building strong bodies that resist injury to living healthier lifestyles even as we get older. Yoga helps promote fitness for life!
4. Improves Mental Health
Yoga is a multifaceted practice encompassing meditation, breathing techniques, body postures and movements, spirituality and more. Studies have demonstrated its benefits to help manage a range of health conditions as well as mental wellbeing – for instance reducing frequency and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder among female trauma survivors; improving cognition for dementia sufferers; helping manage depression and anxiety more effectively – among many more.
Numerous studies have explored the impact of yoga on both the brain and immune system, concluding that its practice has beneficial effects on mood, psychological well-being and inflammation reduction, while decreasing oxidative stress levels and oxidative stressors. Yoga also increases blood flow throughout the body promoting healthier cells as well as decreasing age related diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Yoga practice can also help improve balance and coordination. Some poses of yoga such as tree pose and warrior III can provide extra stability and proprioception as we age, helping prevent falls and injuries from happening. Furthermore, deep breathing practices provided by yoga help support healthy cells while relieving stress levels; studies have also indicated its potential role in improving memory function – however further investigation needs to be completed in this regard.
Study findings published in Biological Psychology revealed that middle-aged adults who participated regularly in yoga sessions experienced lower stress levels, improved mood, and less difficulty with mental tasks. Researchers believe this benefit stems from how yoga helps regulate emotions and relax individuals.
Yoga has been shown to reduce physiological markers of stress such as heart rate variability and inflammatory cytokines, helping reduce severity of depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, yoga has also been proven to lengthen telomeres – molecules which protect cells against becoming damaged or dying – and reduce cellular oxidative stress.
Future yoga research may focus on its use as a treatment for various mental illnesses. Such trials should feature high-quality randomized control trials with adequate sample sizes, active controls, validated outcome measures, and longer follow-ups.
