Mindfulness Yoga Research

     Physical exercise helps to prevent the loss of muscle mass associated with aging. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and function (1). When sarcopenia progresses due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition, the quality of life is affected. The risk of falls, fractures and hospitalizations increases. Falls in seniors lead to greater healthcare cost; millions of dollars are spent every year in America due to falls (2). Strong muscles are crucial to support the health of bones. (The need to keep bones healthy will be the focus of a future entry). Sarcopenia is associated with chronic inflammation. The good news is that physical exercise can counter the effects of inflammation on muscle. A new study published by Science Advances found that exercise helps muscle cells to counter chronic inflammation (3). Researchers at Duke University used muscle cells in the laboratory to investigate this. They exposed muscle cells to chronic inflammation by u...

    Yoga is a mind-body practice that should be adapted to each person's medical situation. People who are not ambulatory, for example, can do chair yoga. It is important to know and understand that yoga is a mindfulness discipline that can be offered within the scope of each person's limitations. The benefits in mental and physical health can be attained when a qualified instructor has the intention and knowledge to address safety issues. Yoga is often used as a complementary therapy for chronic pain, and the field of research that focuses on the use of yoga to help relieve various chronic pain conditions is evolving (1, 2, 3).   Chronic pain affects quality of life and costs 635 billion dollars a year (5). The opioid epidemic in America leads to more than 24,000 deaths per year, and the COVID pandemic has worsened the opioid crisis (4). Chronic pain is often the cause of overuse of opioids, which leads to increased cost of care and mortality (4). The use of opioids ...

    The training of athletes is multi-dimensional. Confidence in sports relies on various factors, including physical skills, training, cognitive efficiency and resilience (1). The benefits of yoga for athletes are holistic in nature and integrate various crucial aspects of their training.   Meditation is known to increase the thickness of the hippocampus (2). This area of the brain is involved in emotional regulation, cognition and resiliency. The Sun Salutations, also known as Surya Namascar, help to develop muscle strength and improve fitness (3 and 4). They also have the potential to help athletes gain a state of mental calmness and clarity that can boost their performance. In addition to improving physical strength and endurance (4), Sun Salutations have been shown to decrease stress and negative emotions. Research has found that yoga improves lung capacity and respiratory function (5), and the American Heart Association acknowledged that yoga supports car...