There is a growing body of research on the health benefits of yoga as more interest develops in alternatives to allopathic medicine for health. Yoga originated as a holistic life approach, or way of life. Yoga is currently classified by the National Institutes of Health - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as a mind-body therapy. The following provides a review of research on the benefits of yoga for a variety of health outcomes, and a table that compiles the health benefits from research. Please also see the website for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (www.iayt.org) and go to the Research and Health Benefits of Yoga, as well as the Publications sections. You may also visit www.healthandyoga.com and look under Yoga Articles, Research Papers for more general research on the benefits of yoga.
Galantino, M.L., Galbavy, R., Quinn, L. Therapeutic effects of yoga for children: A systematic review of the literature. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 2008; 66-80.
The studies reviewed used a randomized, control design that addressed yoga's affects on children's neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and musculoskeletal functioning. In these studies, yoga included a combination of breathing exercises (pranayama), physical postures (asanas), and meditation/relaxation (dhyana). Trends were found for the following outcomes. Children had improved sensory-motor performance (improved visual and auditory reaction times, decrease in errors on motor tasks), improved spatial memory, and central nervous system processing. Yoga practices were also found to improve time "on task" (increased attention) for children with attention problems. Children with mental retardation who practiced yoga during a school year showed significant improvement in IQ and social skills (largely due to improvements in neuromuscular performance). Breathing techniques decreased autonomic nervous system sympathetic output and increased parasympathetic output, resulting in a calmer state. One study found adolescent girls who had been traumatized had a decreased anxiety state after practicing yoga regularly. Separate studies of several other populations of children with anxiety who practiced yoga found a reduction in anxiety. There is evidence that relaxation techniques decrease self-reported anxiety as well as a decrease in cortisol (hormone released by adrenal gland in response to stress) levels among children diagnosed with adjustment disorder and depression. Yoga has also been found to improve breathing among asthmatic children and adolescents. Finally, one study found that a small group of school age children had improved body image after practicing yoga.
Select health benefits from research compiled by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). See IAYT for full listing of benefits and comparison of effects of yoga to general exercise.
Pulse rate decreases
Respiratory rate decreases
Cardiovascular efficiency increases
Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
Sleep improves
Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
Social adjustment increases
Anxiety and depression decrease
Hostility decreases
Attention improves
Memory improves
Learning efficiency improves
Glucose decreases
Total cholesterol decreases
Oxygen level in the brain increases