Between the 1st and 5th century CE, a Hindu sage named Patañjali began to organize the meditative traditions practiced across India. He wrote 196 manuals, known as the Yoga Sutras, capturing techniques as old as Indian civilization itself. He described yoga as the ‘yoking’ or restraining of the mind from focusing on external objects to reach a state of pure consciousness. Over time, yoga adopted physical elements from gymnastics and wrestling.
Nowadays, there are numerous approaches to modern yoga, but most still keep the three core elements from Patañjali’s practice: physical postures, breathing exercises, and spiritual contemplation. This mix of physical and mental exercises is believed to offer a unique set of health benefits, like improved strength and flexibility, better heart and lung function, and enhanced psychological well-being.
But what do contemporary studies say about the benefits of this ancient tradition? Despite many research efforts, it’s challenging to make specific claims about yoga’s advantages. The unique combination of activities makes it hard to figure out which component produces a specific health benefit. Plus, yoga studies often have small sample sizes and rely on self-reporting, which can make results subjective.
However, some health benefits have more scientific backing than others. For example, yoga’s physical postures can stretch multiple muscle groups, making them more elastic in the short term. Regular stretching stimulates stem cells that turn into new muscle tissue and other cells generating elastic collagen. Frequent stretching also reduces the body’s natural reflex to constrict muscles, improving pain tolerance for flexibility feats.
No single form of yoga has been found better than another at improving flexibility, but yoga in general reliably enhances fitness and flexibility in healthy people. It’s also a potentially powerful therapeutic tool. In studies with patients suffering from various musculoskeletal disorders, yoga was more helpful at reducing pain and improving mobility than other low-impact exercises. Adding yoga to an existing exercise routine can enhance strength and flexibility for conditions like chronic lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis.
Yoga’s mix of physical exercise and controlled breathing also supports lung health. Lung diseases like chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma shrink the passageways carrying oxygen, while weakening the membrane that brings oxygen into the blood. Yoga breathing exercises relax the muscles constricting those passageways and improve oxygen diffusion. This is especially beneficial for those with weak hearts that struggle to pump enough oxygen throughout the body. Even for healthy hearts, yoga can lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Yoga’s most celebrated benefit might be its psychological effects, though they are tough to prove. While yoga is linked to improved mental health, there’s little conclusive evidence on its impact. Some claims suggest that yoga improves symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders, but since these conditions vary widely, it’s difficult to quantify yoga’s impact. There is evidence, however, that yoga can help reduce stress symptoms, similar to meditation or relaxation.
Research on yoga’s effects is still growing. Larger, more diverse studies are needed to measure yoga’s impact on heart attacks, cancer rates, cognitive function, and more. For now, yoga can continue its ancient tradition as a way to exercise, reflect, and relax.