Yoga is an old practice that’s now very popular in the West.1 Studies show it does a lot for our minds, not just our bodies. It helps our brains work better, can make us feel happier, and might even protect us from brain aging and memory loss.
Key Takeaways
- Yoga has been shown to enhance various cognitive domains, including attention, memory, and executive function.
- Regular yoga practice can promote neuroplasticity and lead to structural changes in the brain, such as increased gray matter volume.
- Yoga can influence functional connectivity and the modulation of brain networks, improving cognitive control and emotional regulation.
- Practicing yoga may help mitigate age-related brain changes and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
- Integrating yoga as part of a broader lifestyle intervention, along with other healthy habits, can enhance the positive impact on brain function and overall well-being.
The Rise of Yoga in the Western World
The use of yoga and similar practices has grown a lot in the United States over the last ten years. More adults started doing yoga, from 5.1% in 2002 to 9.5% in 2012, as shown in the National Health Interview Survey.1 Yoga has become very popular because it’s good for both the body and the mind.
Yoga’s Growing Popularity
Today, yoga is the top complementary approach to health in the West.2 People who do yoga get stronger and more flexible,3 and their breathing and heart health get better.3 It also helps them sleep better and feel happier, improving their life quality.3
Yoga as a Complementary Health Approach
Yoga is now seen as a great add-on to regular medical care. It helps your heart, reduces problems like diabetes and joint pains, and makes you physically fitter.3 Yoga doesn’t just help the body; it also boosts mental and spiritual health.3
For those fighting addiction, yoga can be a big help.3 It also makes you feel better, sleep sounder, and lowers thoughts of hurting yourself when you’re depressed.2 Plus, yoga is excellent at calming stress because it works on your whole being.3 Many studies back up yoga as a top choice for less stress and better emotions.3
Depression and anxiety are common issues that lead people to try yoga.3 Doing yoga boosts a chemical in your brain that makes you feel less stressed.2 Believers in various faiths see brain changes with their practices, like those who do yoga.2
Yoga works well for all ages, even if you’re recovering from an injury.2 More and more, we’re learning about yoga’s great effects on the mind, thanks to new studies.2 Doctors are starting to recommend yoga to fight sadness and worry.2
Yoga and Physical Health Benefits
Studies show yoga is great for people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease risks. It helps control blood sugar, makes the body use insulin better, and lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Yoga fights heart disease by also managing weight and reducing swelling.1
Yoga for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk
Yoga does a lot of good for adults with Type II Diabetes. This was shown in a big review in 2010 in the Evid Based Complement Alternat Med journal.1 A 2016 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found yoga helps fight heart disease and the metabolic syndrome.1
Yoga for Musculoskeletal Conditions
It turns out yoga is also a big help for body aches and pains. It’s good for those with chronic back pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. The movements, breathing, and focusing in yoga make you move better, become stronger, and hurt less.1 A 2002 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine looked into how Hatha Yoga can help our muscles and heart.1
Yoga for Mental Health and Well-being
Yoga is great for helping with anxiety and stress. Many studies have proven this.1 It focuses on deep breathing, meditation, and being mindful. These things help calm the body’s stress reactions. So, yoga can lower stress signs, like high cortisol and fast heartbeats.3 It’s especially good for those with anxiety and high stress.4
Yoga for Anxiety and Stress Management
Studies have found that yoga can be an extra help for people feeling down or anxious.1 The mix of poses, breathing exercises, and meditation in yoga can lift your spirits. It doesn’t just reduce depression but makes you feel better overall too.3 Yoga is able to tweak brain chemicals and mood hormones. It also boosts your brain’s ability to adapt and handle feelings.1
Yoga for Depression and Mood Disorders
Yoga and the Brain: Mental and Cognitive Benefits
Yoga does a lot for your body and mind. It also helps improve your brain’s job and smarts. By practicing yoga, you can make your brain better at focusing, remembering, and making decisions. This happens because yoga changes how your brain works and its structure to boost these skills.1
Doing yoga regularly makes you better at focusing and remembering things. This is because of the mindful aspect, meditating, and the breathing you do in yoga. Plus, the physical movements send more blood and oxygen to your brain. This helps your brain work better too.5
People who do yoga for a long time change their brain’s structure. They get more space for thinking, remembering, and handling feelings. This means yoga might keep your brain healthier as you get older.6
Yoga is great for the brain because it helps it change and learn new things. This is thanks to neuroplasticity, which means your brain can get better at doing tasks and feeling from what you learn.1 Yoga helps grow more brain cells in parts used for thinking, remembering, and controlling feelings.5
Yoga also changes how your brain’s parts talk and work together. This makes your brain better at handling your thoughts and emotions. It connects different parts of your brain in a better way. So, yoga can make your mind stronger and happier.6
Yoga and Cognitive Enhancement
Doing yoga regularly can boost your focus, concentration, and memory.1 It involves exercises like mindfulness, meditation, and breathwork. These can make your brain work better by improving control and attention. The physical poses also help increase blood flow and oxygen to your brain. This supports your thinking ability.
Yoga, Focus, and Memory
Research shows that people who do yoga a lot have changes in their brain.1 Their brain areas linked to focus, memory, and dealing with emotions got bigger. This means yoga might help your brain stay sharp as you get older.
Yoga and Brain Structure Changes
One study from 2012 found great improvements in health and mind after just 6 months of yoga.7 Another study in 2009 by Subramanya and Telles showed that specific yoga relaxation techniques helped memory and lessened anxiety.7 More research in 2012 by Nangia and Malhotra confirmed yoga’s benefit for thinking and mental health.7 A 2015 study by Gothe and McAuley showed that yoga helps the brain in various situations, both long term and short term.7
The Science Behind Yoga’s Brain Benefits
Yoga helps the brain by making it more adaptable. This means the brain can get better at learning and handling new experiences. It also increases the amount of gray matter in key brain areas. These include the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. These areas help with thinking, remembering, and dealing with emotions.1
Neuroplasticity and Gray Matter Changes
A review has shown that yoga can increase gray matter in the brain, in areas linked to certain functions.1 Older women who practice yoga regularly have thicker brain areas than those who don’t do yoga.1 These changes might help keep the brain sharp as people get older.1
Functional Connectivity and Brain Network Modulation
Yoga can change how well different brain areas work together. It affects networks like the one for daydreaming and thinking about the past.1 By doing yoga, people might get better at making their brain regions work together, which could help with thinking and handling emotions too.1
Older people who do yoga for a long time have brain networks that work better.1 And a study found that just 10 weeks of yoga could make a certain part of the brain denser. This was better than the change seen in those who didn’t do yoga.1
Yoga for Cognitive Aging and Dementia
Yoga’s Impact on Age-Related Brain Changes
As we grow older, our brains change in how they look and work. These changes can lead to a decline in our ability to think. Yet, studies show that doing yoga often can lessen these effects. Yoga is linked to a larger part of the brain called the hippocampus. This area is key for memory and learning. It suggests yoga could keep the mind sharp in older age.8
Yoga and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Research also indicates yoga might lower the chances of getting Alzheimer’s or other dementias.9 It seems yoga’s impact on brain structure and function is the reason. It may lower the risk of losing cognitive abilities with age or getting brain diseases.8
Studies have found yoga can boost thinking skills in seniors with mild memory issues or dementia.8 In particular, yoga has been beneficial for mental and physical health in those with dementia. It hints at potential cognitive benefits from yoga.8
Yoga and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk (continued)
Chair yoga, designed for those with limited mobility, is notably helpful for people with Alzheimer’s.8 Also, a program called Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIE) has shown to help those with dementia.8
For those with early memory issues, Kundalini yoga is being studied and has shown it can help.8 Meditations are found to positively affect brain networks related to memory for this group.8
For young women at risk of psychosis, yoga and mindfulness have improved brain function.8 Older adults’ brain health may also get a boost from yoga, improving sleep and reducing memory problems.8 Even cancer survivors have reported better memory after practicing yoga.8
Overall, 1431 articles were found about yoga’s effect on mild cognitive issues or dementia.10 Ten studies were chosen, with 421 people in total, to see the real impact of yoga on them.10 Most of these studies lasted 12 weeks and compared yoga to other activities or no activity.10
The results often showed getting better at thinking, feeling happier, and moving better.10 A few people felt dizzy during some exercises, but that was uncommon.10 Lots of folks globally are dealing with dementia, and it’s a worry because a good number of them might not remember much as they used to.10
Yoga has more than one good result in older people, improving not just brain health but also how they move and feel.10 Studies from places like Greece and the United States back this up.10
Recent work shows special yoga can really help people feel less forgetful.9 There was a study with 79 people, half doing this special yoga and half doing memory exercises.9 The yoga group did much better in remembering things than the memory exercises group over time. And their body markers that show age didn’t go up as much.9
Over 200,000 people taking part in a large study showed being alone, feeling down, and having high blood pressure can make you more forgetful.9 Some researchers found that women with a certain gene might be more likely to get Alzheimer’s.9
There’s solid proof that Kundalini yoga helps with mild memory issues.9 Other work suggests exercise and eating right could be helpful for avoiding memory problems.9
Integrating Yoga into Lifestyle Interventions
Yoga combines physical, mental, and spiritual practices.3 These include postures, breathwork, and meditation. They can greatly improve both body and mind.
Yoga as a Mind-Body Practice
Yoga is known for connecting physical, mental, and spiritual aspects to better health.3 It’s an alternative medicine style that lowers our stress levels.3 This ancient practice from over 3,000 years is seen as a key stress management tool.3
Combining Yoga with Other Lifestyle Factors
For improving mental and cognitive health, adding yoga to your daily life is key.3 It boosts physical strength, endurance, and flexibility, and also lessens stress, anxiety, and chronic pain.3
When yoga is paired with things like regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress coping methods, it has even more benefits. This mix strengthens your brain and uplifts your mood.
Source Links
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971819/
- https://www.news-medical.net/health/Peace-of-Mind-How-Yoga-Changes-the-Brain.aspx
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
- https://www.webmd.com/balance/benefits-of-yoga-for-mental-health
- https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2023/10/03/how-yoga-affects-the-brain-and-body-to-reduce-stress/
- https://www.doyogawithme.com/blog/yoga-impact-memory
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5544241/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6541218/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-024-02807-0
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9862505/
