Older people who practice yoga tend to stay in better physical and mental shape, a new study finds.
University of Edinburgh researchers assessed more than 20 studies that examined the effects of yoga on physical and mental wellbeing in older adults. The various yoga programs ranged from one month to seven months, while session durations ran from a half hour to 90 minutes.
They discovered that yoga practitioners had better balance, flexibility, leg strength, sleep quality, vitality and perceived mental and physical health—compared with no activity. They also had lower levels of depression.
They say it provides evidence for promoting yoga in physical activity guidelines for older adults, especially in senior living environments.
“Yoga has great potential to improve important physical and psychological outcomes in older adults. Yoga is a gentle activity that can be modified to suit those with age-related conditions and diseases,” says Divya Sivaramakrishnan of the university’s Physical Activity for Health Research Center.
