Yoga is a meditative practice, originating several centuries ago in India. It consists of mental, physical and breathing exercises that may have a range of health benefits. Can this ancient practice stand up to modern scientific scrutiny?
Yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention significantly reduced the rate of cellular aging in apparently healthy populations, as assessed by measurement of biomarkers before and after 12 weeks of the interventionA systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) shows promising evidence of yoga on improving cardio-metabolic health. However, findings are limited by small trial sample sizes, heterogeneity, and moderate quality of RCTs.In this review, randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of yoga in patients with COPD were included. This meta-analysis found robust effects of yoga on exercise capacity and pulmonary function in patients with COPD. Yoga’s breathing techniques can be an effective adjunct intervention for patients with COPD.This report summarizes the current evidence on the effects of yoga interventions on mental and physical health. Some meta-analyses indicate beneficial effects of yoga interventions, and there are several RCTs of relatively high quality indicating beneficial effects of yoga for pain-associated disability and mental health.Based on the reviewed studies, yoga intervention is moderately feasible and likely equal to or superior to exercise or usual care for reducing pain and pain medication in musculoskeletal disorders. Studies are limited by sample size, lack of reliable sham controls, and not blinding researchers to treatment and nontreatment groups.

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