Benefits to Yoga Practice

By: No´émie von Kaenel, OTR/L, RYT200

We all know yoga has its’ benefits but why and what specifically does it benefit? I’ve done the research for you. Check out the list below.

Yoga Benefits are both for overall health physiologically and mentally (Harkess, et al., 2017).

Improves Overall Health as proven in the studies cited below:

• Improved emotional health especially anxiety and depression. (Lemay, Hoolahan, & Buchanan, 2019; Smith, et al, 2011; Saeed, Cunningham& Bloch, 2019)
• Psychosocial wellbeing and social relationships (Bolton, et al, 2020)
• Relieves stress and improves mood and quality of life (Bolton, et al, 2020; Hepburn, & McMahon, 2017); Villate, 2015)
• Cognitive functioning (response inhibition) is related to PTSD, improved sleep quality (Zaccari, et al, 2020)
• Improves mindfulness and awareness (Tripathi, & Bharadwaj, 2021)
• Mindfulness, focus and memory, and a sense of calmness of people with ADHD and or Brain Injuries (Chimiklis, et al, 2018; Combs, Critchfield, & Soble, 2018; Lawrence, et al, 2017)
• Positive body image in people with eating disorders, obese or insecure of their body image (Cramer, et al, 2016)
• Improves digestion (Sharma, Anand, & Kumar, 2020)

Serves to improve specific conditions such as the following:

• Improves mobility, balance, and coordination, reducing stiffness and for conditions like Parkinson’s Disease and osteoarthritis (Kwok, et al 2019; Ban, et al, 2021)
• Glycemic control in comparison to physical exercise (Jayawardena, et al, 2018)
• Reduces negative effects of epilepsy (Shawahna, & Abdelhaq, 2020)
• Yoga breathing techniques are an effective intervention for people with COPD (Cramer, et al, 2019)
• Strengthens pelvic floor muscles for pregnant people and postpartum recovery (Kai et al, 2021)
• Offers a healthy coping strategy instead of substance abuse (Lutz, et al, 2019)
• Reduction of pain perceived stress, fatigue, and improved quality of life for people with musculoskeletal pain and conditions (Biman, et al, 2021)
• Overall regulation, improved sleep, reduction of anxiety, and increase awareness of emotionsfor children with autism (Tanksale, et al., 2021)

Overall, researchers are learning the benefits the ancient yogis’ have known all along, that Yoga is good for you. As simple as that.

Know you are more informed on what specific benefits yoga offers.

If you are a nerd like me, here is my list of references.

References:

1. Ban, M., Yue, X., Dou, P., & Zhang, P. (2021). The effects of yoga on patients with Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Behavioural Neurology, 2021. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1155/2021/5582488
2. Biman, S., Maharana, S., Metri, K. G., & Nagaratna, R. (2021). Effects of yoga on stress, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and the quality of life among employees of diamond industry: A new approach in employee wellness. Work, 70(2), 521–529. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.3233/WOR-213589
3. Bolton, R. E., Fix, G. M., VanDeusen Lukas, C., Elwy, A. R., & Bokhour, B. G. (2020). Biopsychosocial benefits of movement-based complementary and integrative health therapies for patients with chronic conditions. Chronic Illness, 16(1), 41–54. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1742395318782377
4. Chimiklis, A. L., Dahl, V., Spears, A. P., Goss, K., Fogarty, K., & Chacko, A. (2018). Yoga, Mindfulness, and Meditation Interventions for Youth with ADHD: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 27(10), 3155–3168. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1148-7
5. Combs, M. A., Critchfield, E. A., & Soble, J. R. (2018). Relax while you rehabilitate: A pilot study integrating a novel, yoga-based mindfulness group intervention into a residential military brain injury rehabilitation program. Rehabilitation Psychology, 63(2), 182–193. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/rep0000179
6. Cramer, H., Haller, H., Klose, P., Ward, L., Chung, V. C. H., & Lauche, R. (2019). The risks and benefits of yoga for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Rehabilitation, 33(12), 1847–1862. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0269215519860551
7. Cramer, H., Thoms, M. S., Anheyer, D., Lauche, R., & Dobos, G. (2016). Yoga in Women With Abdominal Obesity--a Randomized Controlled Trial. Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, 113(39), 645–652. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.3238/arztebl.2016.0645
8. Harkess, K. N., Delfabbro, P., Mortimer, J., Hannaford, Z., & Cohen-Woods, S. (2017). Brief report on the psychophysiological effects of a yoga intervention for chronic stress: Preliminary findings. Journal of Psychophysiology, 31(1), 38–48. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1027/0269-8803/a000169
9. Hepburn, S.-J., & McMahon, M. (2017). Pranayama Meditation (Yoga Breathing) for Stress Relief: Is It Beneficial for Teachers? Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42(9), 142–159.
10. Jayawardena, R., Ranasinghe, P., Chathuranga, T., Atapattu, P. M., & Misra, A. (2018). The benefits of yoga practice compared to physical exercise in the management of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes & metabolic syndrome, 12(5), 795–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2018.04.008
11. Kai Xu, Xiaojuan Gao, Wenyan Li, Shuai Yang, Fangfu Guo, & Cui Li. (2021). The Effect Of Yoga On Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength And Postpartum Mental Status Of Postpartum Women Status Of Postpartum Women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53, 255. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000762048.91388.0d
12. Kwok, J., Kwan, J., Auyeung, M., Mok, V., Lau, C., Choi, K. C., & Chan, H. (2019). Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and Resistance Training Exercises on Anxiety and Depression for People With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA neurology, 76(7), 755–763.
13. Lawrence, M., Celestino Junior, F. T., Matozinho, H. H., Govan, L., Booth, J., Beecher, J., & Lawrence, M. (2017). Yoga for stroke rehabilitation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12.
14. Lemay, V., Hoolahan, J., & Buchanan, A. (2019). Impact of a Yoga and Meditation Intervention on Students’ Stress and Anxiety Levels. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(5), 747–752. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.5688/ajpe7001
15. Lutz, D. J., Gipson, D. R., & Robinson, D. N. (2019). Yoga as an adjunct for treatment of substance abuse. Practice Innovations, 4(1), 13–27. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/pri0000079
16. Oka, T., & Lkhagvasuren, B. (2021). Health-related benefits and adverse events associated with yoga classes among participants that are healthy, in poor health, or with chronic diseases. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 15. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s13030-021-00216-z
17. Park, J., & McCaffrey, R. (2012). Chair yoga: benefits for community-dwelling older adults with osteoarthritis. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 38(5), 12–22. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.3928/00989134-20120410-01
18. Saeed, S. A., Cunningham, K., & Bloch, R. M. (2019). Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation. American family physician, 99(10), 620–627.
19. Sharma, K., Anand, A., & Kumar, R. (2020). The role of Yoga in working from home during the COVID-19 global lockdown. Work, 66(4), 731–737. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.3233/WOR-203219
20. Shawahna, R., & Abdelhaq, I. (2020). Exploring perceived benefits, motives, barriers, and recommendations for prescribing yoga exercises as a nonpharmacological intervention for patients with epilepsy: A qualitative study from Palestine. Epilepsy & Behavior, 106. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107041
21. Smith, J. A., Greer, T., Sheets, T., & Watson, S. (2011). Is there more to yoga than exercise?. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 17(3), 22–29.
22. Tanksale, R., Sofronoff, K., Sheffield, J., & Gilmour, J. (2021). Evaluating the effects of a yoga-based program integrated with third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy components on self-regulation in children on the autism spectrum: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice, 25(4), 995–1008. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1362361320974841
23. Tripathi, V., & Bharadwaj, P. (2021). Neuroscience of the yogic theory of consciousness. Neuroscience of consciousness, 2021(2), niab030. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/nc/niab030
24. Villate, V. M. (2015). Yoga for College Students: An Empowering Form of Movement and Connection. Physical Educator, 72(1), 44–66.
25. Zaccari, B., Callahan, M. L., Storzbach, D., McFarlane, N., Hudson, R., & Loftis, J. M. (2020). Yoga for veterans with PTSD: Cognitive functioning, mental health, and salivary cortisol. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(8), 913–917. https://doi-org.dominican.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/tra0000909.supp(Supplemental)