Yoga May Go to Your Head

Besides stress reduction, improved flexibility and exercise, yoga may provide another health benefit, a new study found.

Yoga may benefit those at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, this study found.

Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles looked at 25 people who were 55 years old and older and who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The study consisted of two groups. The groups were evaluated for three months. One group participated in yoga, and the other group participated in memory enhancement training (MET) programs that incorporate memory exercises.

The study team looked at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see whether there were any improvements in the networks in the brain associated with memory. The data suggested that yoga may be as effective as memory enhancement training (MET) programs in improving connections in the brain associated with memory.

Since this study was small, larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings, these researchers said.

Before starting any new exercise program, speak to your doctor. Not all exercise programs are safe for everyone.

This study was published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation and National Institutes of Health funded this study. Conflict of interest disclosures were not available at the time of publication.