Conclusion This review is the first to compare the effects of yoga with active and inactive controls in older adults not characterised by a specific clinical condition .
Results indicate that yoga interventions improve multiple physical function and HRQoL outcomes in this population compared to both control conditions .
This study provides robust evidence for promoting yoga in physical activity guidelines for older adults as a multimodal activity that improves aspects of fitness like strength , balance and flexibility , as well as mental wellbeing .
Background Yoga has been recommended as a muscle strengthening and balance activity in national and global physical activity guidelines .
However , the evidence base establishing the effectiveness of yoga in improving physical function and health related quality of life ( HRQoL ) in an older adult population not recruited on the basis of any specific disease or condition , has not been systematic ally review ed .
The objective of this study was to synthesis e existing evidence on the effects of yoga on physical function and HRQoL in older adults not characterised by any specific clinical condition .
Improving aerobic capacity in healthy older adults does not necessarily lead to improved cognitive performance.
The effects of aerobic exercise training in a sample of 85 older adults were investigated . Ss were assigned r and omly to either an aerobic exercise group , a nonaerobic exercise ( yoga ) group , or a waiting-list control group . Following 16 weeks of the group-specific protocol , all of the older Ss received 16 weeks of aerobic exercise training . The older adults demonstrated a significant increase in aerobic capacity ( cardiorespiratory fitness ) . Performance on reaction-time tests of attention and memory retrieval was slower for the older adults than for a comparison group of 24 young adults , and there was no improvement in the older adults ' performance on these tests as a function of aerobic exercise training . Results suggest that exercise-related changes in older adults ' cognitive performance are due either to extended periods of training or to cohort differences between physically active and sedentary individuals
Conclusion This review is the first to compare the effects of yoga with active and inactive controls in older adults not characterised by a specific clinical condition .
Results indicate that yoga interventions improve multiple physical function and HRQoL outcomes in this population compared to both control conditions .
This study provides robust evidence for promoting yoga in physical activity guidelines for older adults as a multimodal activity that improves aspects of fitness like strength , balance and flexibility , as well as mental wellbeing .
Background Yoga has been recommended as a muscle strengthening and balance activity in national and global physical activity guidelines .
However , the evidence base establishing the effectiveness of yoga in improving physical function and health related quality of life ( HRQoL ) in an older adult population not recruited on the basis of any specific disease or condition , has not been systematic ally review ed .
The objective of this study was to synthesis e existing evidence on the effects of yoga on physical function and HRQoL in older adults not characterised by any specific clinical condition .