Some yoga practitioners tend to make some rather tall claims about the benefits of the discipline. It isn’t as if they are trying to mislead anyone; it could well be that they have experienced some of the many positive impacts of yoga personally or have noted this in others. After years as a yoga instructor, I would say the same! However our views are now supported by randomized, controlled research and the findings are unequivocal:
Quality of life in seniors, cancer survivors
We find that people of advanced age often have diseases, mobility issues and other health problems that typically result in a lower quality of life. Yoga can help in lowering fatigue and improving the mood. One study was found to significantly improve certain parameters such as balance, flexibility, energy levels and overall wellbeing among the group that did yoga. Yoga is also frequently used to improve quality of life of cancer patients. In one study, women recovering from breast cancer therapy who did yoga felt more energetic and experienced less fatigue and pain. Other research studies have also found that cancer patients who do yoga have lower levels of depression and anxiety, improved social function and better sleep quality.
As an antidepressant
One research study examined the impact of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on people with alcohol dependency issues. The study found that when inpatients of an alcohol rehab center included yoga in their detox regime, this was seen to have an antidepressant impact. Study participants were asked to take the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and their blood hormone levels were also examined. The group that was doing yoga showed significant improvement in cortisol levels as well as BDI scores. Doing yoga was also seen to improve their short-term abstinence, leading researchers to conclude that this type of yoga can have antidepressant impacts on those trying to get over alcohol addiction.
Impact on inflammation
In one 2015 study, researchers examined the effect of yoga on certain inflammatory markers after moderate to strenuous exercise. In this study, regular practitioners of yoga were examined against another group of people who didn’t do yoga. The Sandwich ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) measured certain inflammatory markers in the blood samples of both groups after they had done moderate to intense exercise. It was found that certain inflammatory markers of the non-yoga group were higher than those of the group that had been doing yoga regularly. This led the researchers to conclude that regularly doing yoga “lowers basal TNF-α and IL-6 levels” and that it also “reduces the extent of increase of TNF-α and IL-6 to a physical challenge of moderate exercise and strenuous exercise.” This research seems to demonstrate that athletes could benefit significantly by adding yoga to their training routine. Since it has positive impacts on inflammatory markers, one can also conjecture that yoga may be of benefit for those with inflammatory conditions or help in pain management.
Yoga and heart health
Heart patients are often advised to do yoga since it can be a gentle, low impact way to increase fitness. There is also evidence to show that yoga can help manage the disease and actually improve symptoms. One study observed those who did yoga vis-à-vis those who didn’t do any exercise. The yoga practitioners were seen to have lower blood pressure and it was found that yoga lowers “age related deterioration of cardiovascular function.” Other studies have also found that yoga-based lifestyle modifications can help in improving of symptoms among people with heart disease and improvement in coronary artery disease. Yoga can even help to slow the progression of disease when accompanied by other lifestyle modifications such as healthy eating and lowering of stress.
The benefits of yoga are not limited to older people or people with diseases. Yoga can benefit anyone and everyone. This is also what my own personal experience as a yoga instructor have taught me.