Swedish researchers investigated this question, and the results were surprising. It is already known that physical exercise can enhance the brain’s ability to receive, store, and process information, known as cognitive functions. For instance, researcher and physician Peter Blomstrand and his colleagues at Jönköping University observed in a study that a short session of physical exercise can enhance cognitive functions and learning in students. Now, they have explored which type of exercise is most beneficial for the aging brain: strength training, cardio, or yoga, which combines physical exercises with breathing control. They examined the results of more than 300 studies involving over 20,000 participants aged 55 and above. In approximately 30 of these studies, healthy participants either practiced yoga or were part of a control group engaged in cardio or strength training. Participants underwent a range of cognitive tests at the beginning and end of the studies.
The results surprised the researchers. Strength or exercise training was found to have only a low positive effect on cognitive abilities. However, yoga exhibited a slightly higher (moderate) positive effect on the brain’s ability to store, process, or retrieve information, for example.
“We didn’t expect that! We thought that fitness training would have a greater impact on the cognitive tests than yoga. If yoga were a prescription medication, we doctors would prescribe it to many people,” says Peter Blomstrand.
The difference in effect is not substantial, but it is still noticeable for individuals in the short term, according to Peter Blomstrand.”A 60-year-old who practices yoga can likely feel the effects on attention and memory in the relatively short term, while someone who jogs may not notice it in the same way.”Blomstrand suggests that yoga may even help prevent dementia.
“It is reasonable to assume from the results that yoga can actually slow down some forms of dementia,” he says.The study encompasses hatha and kundalini yoga, which, in simple terms, combine physical movements with breathing exercises.”We refer to it as ‘mind-body’ training in our study. We believe that similar effects can be observed in tai chi and qigong,” says Peter Blomstrand.
To achieve results, it is advisable to practice yoga regularly, at least three times a week, preferably as a complement to other fitness or strength training.So, what is it in yoga that affects the brain? According to Peter Blomstrand, one explanation is the combination of physical exercises and breathing control. ‘It affects our nervous system, which has a calming effect on blood pressure and heart rate.”It is simply a way to manage and counteract stress. It improves attention, memory, and other cognitive functions.”There are various forms of yoga. The new study, which is an umbrella study reviewing previous compilations of original studies, includes hatha and kundalini yoga, which combine physical movements with breathing exercises.
The researchers have termed this yoga “mind-body” training in the new study, published in the journal European Review of Aging and Physical Activity. They suggest that similar effects are likely to be observed in tai chi and qigong. The study is a collaboration between the School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University (also known as Jönköping University) and Region Jönköping County.”
Source: