Yoga and Brain Fitness

Regular practice of yoga may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, study finds. Yoga helped minimize cognitive decline and when combined with meditation, worked as well as memory training exercises in helping people with mild memory impairment.

2 groups were studied. One group received one hour a week of memory enhancement training and spent 20 minutes a day performing memory exercises, while the other group took a one-hour class once a week in Kundalini yoga and practiced Kirtan Kriya meditation at home for 20 minutes each day. Kirtan Kriya, which involves chanting, hand movements and visualization of light, has been practiced for hundreds of years in India as a way to prevent cognitive decline in older adults.

After 12 weeks, the researchers saw similar improvements among participants in both groups, but those who had practiced yoga and meditation had better improvements in visual–spatial memory skills, which come into play for recalling locations and navigating while walking or driving.

If you are trying to improve your memory or offset the risk for developing memory loss or dementia, a regular practice of yoga and meditation could be a simple, safe and low-cost solution to improving your brain fitness.

 

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