Yoga has been linked to quite a few health advantages. But is that this also the key to a protracted life? Daisy Taylor, a centenarian from Chelmsford, England has told this.
In one A recent interview On the eve of her one hundred and fifth birthday, Taylor told the BBC that she attributes her long and healthy life to yoga – in addition to her optimism and appreciation for the little things. She says yoga especially helps her stay mentally fit. She's still practicing yoga at her age — though now often in a chair slightly than on a mat.
An aging and above all, mentally fit yogi, Taylor just isn't alone. Many of the world's notable yoga practitioners have lived long, healthy lives. Take BKS Iyengar.For example. Perhaps probably the most famous yoga teacher of our time, he was given only a couple of years to live after contracting malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis concurrently as a baby. Then he discovered yoga and began practicing ten hours a day. Not only did he survive his illness for a couple of years, he lived to be 95 years old.
His brother-in-law and teacher Tirumala Krishnamacharya, the founding father of Vinyasa Yoga, Lived to the age of 100.. And Krishnamacharya's other almost equally famous master student, Krishna Pattabhi Jois, whose Ashtanga yoga founded the yoga fitness wave, Lived for 93 years..
There are many explanation why yoga is so useful even in old age. Studies show that it may possibly have a positive effect on various age-related diseases. Lowering blood pressure, Blood fat levels And obesity.
Yoga may reduce Depression, Stress And restlessness. Yoga can also be related to one. A generally healthy lifestyle – reminiscent of following a healthy weight loss plan.
Evidence also suggests that yoga can have many advantages in the case of aging and staying young.
Yoga and Aging
Research shows that yoga can potentially reverse aging on the cellular level. i A studyparticipants who practiced yoga showed a 43% increase in telomere activity – while participants who simply rested experienced a rise of lower than 4%. Enzyme Telomerase It is a very important think about aging, because it shortens cell lifespan.
Moreover, some very experienced yogis can lower their metabolism a lot that their physical condition Like hibernating animals: Their respiration and heart rate drop significantly, as their body temperature drops. In animals, such a resting phase is shown. Increasing age. Some argue that this will be the case. Be true to men.
Evidence also suggests that yoga helps us stay mentally fit as we age.
As we get older, we decline mentally. New things are learned and recent memories are made. increasingly difficult. This is reflected within the brain: particularly the hippocampus, which is essential for forming recent memories. Loses substance with age.
But a study that examined the brains of yoga practitioners found that their brains were generally higher than those of non-yogis of the identical age. This difference was particularly evident within the hippocampus. Not only this, however the longer one has been practicing yoga, The bigger their brains..
Another study found this as well Average brain mass 40-50 12 months old meditators had the identical average brain weight as 20-30 12 months old non-meditators. Meditation is a very important a part of yoga.
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Although a lot of these studies take care to regulate for any variables that will influence an individual's risk of cognitive decline (reminiscent of their lifestyle habits and genetics), these controls are never perfect. Does not occur – so these associations are only correlations.
But research has actually shown that meditation can actually increase brain mass — and slightly quickly. In a study with participants who were inexperienced in meditation, one group participated in a four-month meditation course while the opposite group didn't. 4 months later, Brain mass increased significantly Again within the meditation group, it specifically affected the hippocampus. Overall, the information show that meditation – and yoga – are related to a younger brain.
Studies have also checked out so-called “fluid intelligence” – the flexibility to unravel recent, unfamiliar problems, learn recent things and recognize patterns and connections. This ability decreases with age. But Research shows Middle-aged individuals who have practiced yoga or meditation for several years have higher fluid intelligence than people of the identical age who haven't done either activity.
Longevity and Yoga
But is there any direct evidence that yoga prolongs life?
A study Just checked out him. The researchers used data from the National Death Index and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey – an ongoing, nationally representative survey of the health and dietary status of the US population. The study's 22,598 participants were asked a series of questions on their lifestyle habits — including whether or not they practiced yoga.
The results were surprising. Within a median of eight and a half years after the survey, participants who practiced yoga had a virtually two-thirds lower risk of death than non-yoga participants. There was only one catch: Yogis were normally much younger than the common participant. When age was accounted for within the evaluation, there was no difference in mortality between yogis and non-yogis.
Therefore, yoga doesn't seem to extend longevity.
In her interview, Daisy Taylor spoke about her 103-year-old sister and her five other siblings, each of whom lived to be over 90 years old. Characteristic of the family.
But yoga seems to maintain us healthy and above all, mentally slot in old age. And perhaps, because it has for Daisy Taylor, it may possibly overcome the fear of aging.