Dr Mosley has looked at research suggesting that exercise may boost mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and slow or even accelerate cellular aging.
We are all looking for ways to slow the aging process through exercise, diet, over-the-counter products, and more.
But one doctor thinks he may have stumbled upon a crucial, millennia-old tool in the fight to stay healthy as we age. Dr. Michael Mosley has dug into research that suggests yoga not only improves strength and flexibility, but also boosts mood, reduces stress and anxiety, and may even “slow or even slow the rate of cellular aging.”
In a BBC podcast, “Just One Thing,” Dr. Mosley talked about the history and health benefits of yoga. Yoga has been practiced for at least 5,000 years, but it became popular worldwide in the 19th century when photography made it easier to share different movements and poses around the world. There are many different types of yoga, but the five most well-known types are reported to be Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar, and Hot Yoga. Wales Online.
Dr Mosley focused on Hatha yoga and found surprising results. He said: “Yoga is an ancient practice that trains the body and mind, increasing strength and flexibility. There are many different types of yoga, but it generally involves physical postures, breath control and meditation. Regular practice has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation, which may help reduce depression and anxiety, and exciting new research suggests it may have effects at a cellular level as well.”
“There’s some very exciting research showing that regular yoga practice can reduce chronic inflammation, which can lead to heart disease and cancer. It may also improve your mood, motivate you, and inspire you to take up other activities. Research suggests that this mind-body intervention really has a wide range of health benefits.”
A 2018 study in Germany split participants into three groups into three groups who were either trained in yoga, participated in sports, or did nothing for 10 weeks, and brain scans showed a significant increase in grey matter density in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with learning and memory.
Another pilot study in 2017 split participants with mild or moderate depression into two groups: one group did yoga and the other studied yoga history for 90 minutes twice a week for eight weeks. Results showed that 60% of the yoga group were cured of clinical depression after the study period, while only 10% of the history group improved.
Recent studies have found that yoga can help lower levels of stress hormones and regulate the body’s stress response. The NHS also recommends yoga, stating: “Yoga promotes good physical and mental health by focusing on strength, flexibility and breathing. There is evidence that regular yoga practice can help people with high blood pressure, heart disease, pain (including back pain), depression and stress.”
Dr Mosley added: “These effects, along with a reduction in inflammatory markers, are thought to be the main reasons why yoga may be effective for treating anxiety and depression. Yoga may also improve mitochondrial function – the little power generating units found in our cells that give us energy. The better your mitochondria work, the better your body functions.”
Compelling research suggests they may also help slow the ageing process. Dr Mosley spoke with Professor Rima Dada from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, who explained that “mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, producing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy.”
“Mitochondria tend to accumulate mutations and alterations, which leads to less ATP production, which in turn leads to a decline in tissue function and the onset of ageing. Through our research, we have found that yoga can improve not only mitochondrial integrity but also the integrity of nuclear DNA.”
“If you improve mitochondrial integrity, you produce more ATP, more energy, which can slow the decline of tissue function. If we can improve mitochondrial integrity through yoga, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and increase overall antioxidant capacity, we can actually slow or delay the rate of cellular aging, thereby reducing biological age.”
