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 .
Overview of Systematic Reviews: Yoga as a Therapeutic Intervention for Adults with Acute and Chronic Health Conditions
Objectives . Overview the quality , direction , and characteristics of yoga interventions for treatment of acute and chronic health conditions in adult population s. Methods . We search ed for systematic review s in 10 online data bases , bibliographic references , and h and - search es in  yoga-related  journals . Included review s satisfy Oxman criteria and specify yoga as a primary intervention in one or more r and omized controlled trials for treatment in adults . The AMSTAR tool and GRADE approach evaluated the method ological quality of review s and quality of evidence . Results . We identified 2202 titles , of which 41 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 26 systematic review s satisfied inclusion criteria . Thirteen systematic review s include quantitative data and six papers include meta- analysis . The quality of evidence is generally low . Sixteen different types of health conditions are included . Eleven review s show tendency towards positive effects of yoga intervention , 15 review s report unclear results , and no , review s report adverse effects of yoga . Yoga appears most effective for reducing symptoms in anxiety , depression , and pain . Conclusion . Although the quality of systematic review s is high , the quality of supporting evidence is low . Significant heterogeneity and variability in reporting interventions by type of yoga , setting s , and population characteristics limit the generalizability of results
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 .