Yoga for the Brain: Hatha Yoga Boosts Cognitive Function in Older Adults
The world’s population is aging. In nearly every country, there are more older people than younger ones, and this trend is expected to continue. According to the World Health Organization, the number of individuals aged 60 and over will double by 2050.
Even though people are living longer, there’s still a difference between how long they live and how long they stay healthy and active.
This happens because our bodies and brains undergo changes as we age. These changes can lead to health issues and cognitive deficits, such as memory loss, trouble focusing, difficulty paying attention, and impaired problem solving abilities.
Regular exercise is fantastic for keeping our brains healthy. However, many people don’t exercise as much as they should. Simple and accessible workouts could be the answer for those who can’t exercise frequently.
Hatha yoga is a great alternative because it’s easy to do and does not require special equipment. A new study conducted at the National Sport Observatory of Tunis, Tunisia, suggests that Hatha yoga could be linked to better cognitive abilities in older individuals.
Hatha yoga is the most popular type of yoga. It focuses on controlled breathing exercises and specific body poses.
Despite yoga’s popularity, only a few studies examined its effects on the cognitive function of older adults. So far, research on that matter has been inconclusive. This study aimed to shed light on this subject by analyzing how doing Hatha yoga for two years would affect the attention, memory, and thinking speed of older people.
Hatha Yoga for a Healthy Aging Mind
The scientists behind this study conducted experiments with two types of people. The first group included healthy individuals aged 61 to 67 years who, as part of the study, had been regularly practicing Hatha yoga at least twice a week for the past two years. The sessions lasted 60 minutes and were led by a qualified instructor. They included physical postures (Asanas), breathing exercises (Prāṇāyāmas), and guided mindfulness meditation. Individuals in the second group were similar to the first group but had never done yoga or any other mind-body activities before.
Both groups went through some tests to evaluate their memory, attention, and thinking skills. Among these tests was the five-word test, which checks signs of memory loss in aging people. During the test, participants were given a small set of 5 common but complex words and asked to recall that list after a certain time.
The Victoria Stroop test measured how well the participants could focus on one thing while ignoring other things that confused them. They were instructed to look at three cards, each containing rows of colored items. The first card had colored bars, the second card had words written in different colors, and the third one had color names written in a different color than what the word represented. They had to complete three tasks as quickly as possible: reading the color names, reading the words, and naming the color used for each word.
The researchers tested the participant’s attention and concentration skills using Zazzo’s cancellation test. This test involves finding and marking specific items on a sheet of paper filled with different symbols while ignoring distractions.
Finally, they measured how quickly people reacted to different visual cues to assess their ability to control their impulses.
The research found that both groups had similar memory abilities when examined with the five-word test. However, people who didn’t practice Hatha yoga struggled more with concentrating and staying focused compared to those who did. They made more errors on the Victoria Stroop test and performed worse on Zazzo’s cancellation test. They also took longer to respond to stimuli.
Put together, these results show that people who practice Hatha yoga have better cognitive abilities than those who don’t. If you are looking for a lower-intensity workout to boost your cognitive abilities, Hatha yoga might be the exercise you’ve been looking for.
Benefits for the mind and body
Research shows that mind-body practices like yoga could have positive effects on the cognitive abilities of middle-aged or older adults. Regular practice might help keep our memory, thinking, and focus sharp as we age.
Plus, yoga offers many other benefits like:
- Reducing stress and anxiety.
- Helping you sleep better.
- Improving your circulation and heart health.
- Giving you strength and flexibility.
- Helping you manage your weight.
In general, anyone in good health can practice Hatha yoga. You can do it alone or join a class. The main thing is to keep moving, and you’ll feel better in both body and mind.
