HEALTHWATCH
How yoga could help you!
Yoga has been a popular practice for thousands of years, with devotees saying that it helps them to become stronger, more flexible and more toned.
But it’s not just the physical benefits that make a difference. It can also have an impact on other aspects of your health, according to a variety of scientific studies:
IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE Several studies have shown that regularly practising yoga can make a difference to a person’s quality of life, especially if that person is older or has health issues.
In one, more than 100 seniors were divided into groups to do either yoga, walking or no exercise. After six months, those in the yoga group reported a significantly improved quality of life, as well as better moods and less fatigue compared with those in the other groups.
Meanwhile, among the studies that have looked at the effect yoga has on cancer, one found that women having chemotherapy for breast cancer who did yoga noticed a decrease in side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Another found that after eight weeks of yoga, women with breast cancer reported having less pain and fatigue while feeling more relaxed, invigorated and accepting of their situation. LOWER LEVELS OF INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is a normal response to problems in your body. However, ongoing chronic inflammation can cause problems itself, contributing to serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.
A 2015 study divided 218 volunteers into two groups
– one that practised yoga regularly and the other that didn’t. Those who did yoga had lower levels of inflammatory markers in their bodies at the end of the study.
Yet another trial showed that breast cancer survivors who did yoga had reduced levels of inflammatory markers. IMPROVE HEART HEALTH People who do yoga often have reduced risk factors for developing heart disease, such as lower levels of inflammation, along with a lower pulse rate and blood pressure.
One study reported that participants with heart disease who took up yoga and did it regularly for a year had a 26% reduction in bad cholesterol and a 23% decrease in total cholesterol. (Getting cholesterol levels down is important for heart health.)
Another found that women over 40 who regularly practised yoga over a five-year period had lower pulse rates and blood pressure. The research also found that the progression of heart disease stopped in 47% of patients who took up yoga.
DECREASE STRESS
One of the key benefits of yoga is its ability to ease stress. Studies have shown that it decreases the production of cortisol, the hormone released by the body when you’re stressed. One study found that doing yoga several times a week for three months significantly lowered levels of cortisol in a group of women who described themselves as being highly stressed at the start of the trial. They also reported feeling less tired and depressed.
OVERCOME DEPRESSION
Yoga’s ability to reduce levels of cortisol may also play a part in helping to ease the impact of depression. Several studies involving
patients who
suffered from depression found that their symptoms decreased in severity after doing yoga regularly. One looked at people with alcohol dependency as well as depression, and found that after doing yoga for just two weeks they had lower levels of cortisol in their blood, and they reported a boost in mood.
REDUCE ANXIETY
As well as having an effect on stress levels, yoga can also lessen anxiety. One study found that women who’d been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suffered from severe anxiety noticed their symptoms improved drastically after doing yoga just once a week for 10 weeks. In fact, just over half of them made such incredible progress that they were deemed to no longer be suffering from PTSD.
Lower levels of cortisol are thought to be partly responsible for these outcomes, and it is also believed that the practice of encouraging people to be present in the moment can help them find a peace that counteracts anxiety.
REDUCE
CHRONIC PAIN
Many people live with ongoing pain due to a variety of reasons, from injuries through to medical conditions such as arthritis. Several studies have been carried out to see if doing yoga has an effect on this pain, and the results indicate that for people who are able to do some of the movements, yoga can make a difference to their levels of pain.
One found that people with carpal tunnel syndrome noticed less pain in their wrists after trying specific yoga exercises. Another showed that doing particular movements could decrease pain and improve function in patients with osteoarthritis in their knees. IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY
A study of elderly people investigated how yoga helped them to sleep, compared with taking a herbal preparation or doing nothing different at all. The volunteers who did yoga reported that they fell asleep faster, slept for longer and felt better rested the next day than people in the other groups.
Meanwhile, a trial that looked at the effects of yoga on patients with lymphoma found that those doing yoga had less disrupted sleep and didn’t need as much sleep medication.
It’s thought that yoga helps with sleep because it increases the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.
The fact that it eases stress, anxiety and chronic pain may also help, as these can all make sleep difficult.
BREATHE EASIER
Most forms of yoga incorporate breathing exercises, which can help improve breathing, especially for people who have a condition that makes it difficult. A study of people with mild to moderate asthma found that practising yogic breathing improved their lung function.