Yoga

What are the physical and mental benefits of yoga?

In adults aged 60 and over, yoga tends to improve balance, leg strength, flexibility, sleep, mood and quality of life compared with doing no activity^1,2.

Physical. Balance, lower body flexibility and leg strength were all better with yoga than with no activity¹. For people aged 60 and over, yoga gave small improvements in balance and medium improvements in physical mobility².

Mental. Yoga was linked with less depression and better sleep quality, and with better perceived mental health, physical health and vitality¹. Quality of life improved by a medium amount and mental well-being by a small amount³.

Back pain. For long-lasting low back pain, yoga probably gives only a small improvement compared with no exercise, and a similar effect on everyday function to other types of exercise⁵. It may slightly improve back function and probably slightly reduces pain⁶.

Not clearly better than other exercise. In trials looking at heart and metabolic risk factors, yoga did about as well as other exercise, and it did not change blood sugar markers⁴. If you prefer walking or swimming, those are fine too.

How to start. Look for a beginner or gentle class taught by a qualified instructor, and tell them about any health conditions or injuries before you start. Keep to a comfortable level and ask the teacher to adapt any pose that feels like too much. Begin with an amount that feels manageable and build up gradually. It isn't clear yet how much or how often is best, so choose something you can keep doing.

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first.

For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. Don't change or stop prescribed treatment because of yoga, and don't use yoga to put off seeing a doctor about a health problem. In pregnancy or after birth, talk to your midwife or doctor before starting yoga.

Beginners are best to avoid extreme practices such as headstands, shoulder stands and the lotus position, and breathing that is forced or involves holding the breath. Gentle, relaxed breathing is fine⁷. If you have glaucoma or a family history of it, ask your doctor before trying head-down poses. If you have fragile bones, work out with your doctor and teacher how to adapt poses⁷. Problems reported with yoga are most often muscle and joint ones⁷.

If a muscle or joint feels sore or painful, stop or ease off the pose. See a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. If you feel dizzy, breathless, sick or unwell during a session, stop. If it doesn't settle, call your local emergency number; if it has settled, see a doctor soon.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. If you have thoughts of self-harm, contact a local crisis line (findahelpline.com lists free services in every country), with your local emergency number for an emergency.

In pregnancy, bleeding, fluid leaking, regular painful contractions, the baby moving less, calf pain or swelling, or a bad headache or changes in vision need the midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away. After birth, the same goes for bleeding that gets heavier or comes back after it had eased, calf pain or swelling, or a bad headache or changes in vision.