Yoga offers neuroprotective effects against cognitive decline. (Krause-Sorio et al., 2022)

Yoga has shown several positive effects on physical health, including improved blood pressure, increased flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance.

Yoga has also shown positive effects on depression, resilience, memory and executive functions, increased hippocampal choline concentrations and modulated brain connectivity.

Krause-Sorio et al., 2022 a randomized controlled trial on whether yoga could improve memory or brain aging biomarkers in women with subjective cognitive decline and cardiovascular risk factors.

Yoga group showed an increased or stable gray matter volume, depending on the region of the brain analyzed. The yoga group also significantly decreased anxiety and depression.

According to the study authors, the results suggest that yoga training may help to mitigate neurodegeneration and cognitive decline during aging, even over short time intervals.

Reference:

Krause-Sorio B, Siddarth P, Kilpatrick L, Milillo MM, Aguilar-Faustino Y, Ercoli L, Narr KL, Khalsa DS, Lavretsky H. Yoga Prevents Gray Matter Atrophy in Women at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2022;87(2):569-581.