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Yoga Is Good for the Brain

Alaina Titley

Tippecanoe High School

Anatomy and Physiology

Mr. Hoffman

March 31, 2020

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Did you know yoga has been proven to reduce the risk of alzheimers? Studies show that

practicing yoga has the same effect on the brain as aerobic exercise. It helps support overall brain

health. Statistics in 2018 predicted that because of all the benefits that come along with

practicing yoga, over 55 million people will be into the fitness trend of practicing yoga in 2020.

Practicing yoga helps with stress reduction, strengthens mental health, and may reduce the risk of

alzheimers.

The most common reason people practice yoga is to manage stress. Yoga allows one to

put stress into perspective and helps to relax the muscles and ease one’s brain of stress. It helps

people deal with the hard situations that come their way. ​In fact, University of Illinois

kinesiology and community health professor Neha Gothe (2019) explains, "In one of my

previous studies, we were looking at how yoga changes the cortisol stress response. We found

that those who had done yoga for eight weeks had an attenuated cortisol response to stress that

was associated with better performance on tests of decision-making, task-switching and

attention. Yoga helps people with or without anxiety disorders manage their stress”​ (Gothe,

2019). Science Daily (2019) explains that Yoga focuses on the ​hypothalamic pituitary adrenal

axis which controls your sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (calm) nervous

system. While practicing yoga reduces your sympathetic nervous system, it increases the

parasympathetic nervous system causing the blood pressure and heart rate to reduce. Although

yoga teaches people to be calm, it also teaches them to be aware and alert. It trains the people

practicing to be able to use their sympathetic nervous system not only for the fight or flight

response, but for focus and alertness. This, believe it or not, eases breathing and calms you

down. Gothe (2019) continued to explain, “people who do yoga for eight weeks had a lower
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cortisol response to stress, and performed better on decision-making and attention tests”. It is

simply proven that practicing yoga is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Along with managing stress, yoga allows people to strengthen their mental health in

many ways. Practicing yoga helps with regulating the emotions that come with anxiety,

depression, insomnia, and eating disorders. Jessica Migala (2017) points out that yoga forces one

to focus on deep breathing and the stretching of the body which is beneficial when it comes to

relieving the symptoms of depression. When people feel depressed they may have sleep troubles,

loss of energy, and not only mental pain, but physical pain as well. In fact, doctors may suggest

yoga to be part of a depressed patient's treatment plan. Jake Panasevich (2019) from “U.S.

News” reveals that some specific poses doctors suggest are backbends, inversions, and

downward dog. Backbends are known to open up the rib cage which encourages resilience in

people who slouch. Inversions are helpful because they demand focus and do not allow one to

get caught up in wandering thoughts. Downward Dog lengthens the spine and makes the

sensation stronger than thoughts (Panasevich, 2019). Doctors notice that they see the biggest

results with patients who stick with the practice.

Finally, practicing yoga may reduce the risk of Alzheimers. This may be hard to believe,

but it is true. Yoga improves the connections of the neuron networks that connect with memory

gains in the brain. ​Lecia Bushak​ (2019) from “Being Patient” explains, “researchers found

beneficial brain changes in the hippocampus which is linked to memory, and the amygdala

which regulates emotions.” When one becomes older, the hippocampus and amygdala shrink. On

top of those, studies show yoga keeps the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and default mode

network large as well. Yoga is known to keep these multiple regions larger (Bushak, 2019).
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Keeping these regions large decreases the risk of Alzhemiers and any other form of dementia and

improves your brain functioning.

There are many yoga poses that can help with not only benefiting the brain, but the body

too. The first one is the Halasana. This pose enhances posture, boosts metabolism, and gives the

back a great stretch. Like almost every other yoga pose, this pose helps reduce stress. It’s also

known to stimulate the thyroid gland. The next beneficial pose is the Sirsasana or the Head

Stand. This pose is known to cure asthma, strengthen the lungs, and improve digestion. It also

strengthens the upper and lower body. While one in this pose they will instantly feel calm and

content. The third pose is the Padmasana or the Lotus Pose. This pose relaxes the mind and

increases awareness. It’s also known to give the body a great stretch and help one to become

more flexible (Achanta, 2019). These three poses are perfect examples of how yoga is

advantageous for the body and mind.

Practicing yoga helps with stress reduction, strengthens mental health, and may reduce

risk of Alzheimers. Yoga has been proven to be great for one’s health and researchers continue

to find benefits doing it consistently. There are many reasons why people love practicing yoga so

much. If everyone got into yoga, the world would be a happier and healthier place.
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Literature Cited

Achanta, R. (2019, December 23). 7 Effective Yoga Poses To Increase Your Brain Power.

Retrieved March 15, 2020, from

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-yog​a-poses-to-increase-your-brain-power/

Bushak, L. (2019, December 16). Yoga Benefits the Brain and May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's.

Retrieved March 15, 2020, from https://www.beingpatient.com/yoga-brain-alzheimers/

Heerema, E. (2020, January 15). Can Yoga Improve Memory and Help Prevent Alzheimer's

Disease? Retrieved March 15, 2020, from

https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-yoga-improve-memory-and-help-prevent-alzheimer

-s-4074984

Migala, J. (2018, June 21). What yoga does to your brain. Retrieved March 15, 2020, from

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-yoga-does-your-brain-ncna794531

Panasevich, J. (2019, February 22). Can Yoga Treat Depression? Retrieved March 15, 2020,

from https://health.usnews.com/conditions/depression/can-yoga-treat-depression

Using Yoga to Relieve the Symptoms of Depression - Healthline. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15,

2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/yoga-therapy

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau. (2019, December 12). Experts review

evidence yoga is good for the brain. ​ScienceDaily.​ Retrieved March 15, 2020 from

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191212105851.htm