To help stave off frailty, consider yoga. A systematic review of 33 randomized controlled trials, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in March, found that this ancient mind-body practice may help older people walk faster and gain strength, among other possible physical benefits.
The studies in the review included a total of 2,384 people over age 65 (mean age, 72), who did some form of physical yoga postures—most based on Hatha yoga and some chair-based. All the studies included a control group to compare the yoga intervention to (such as to “education” or other exercise or mind-body interventions like tai chi) and ranged from less than eight weeks to more than 24 weeks. About a third of the studies included home practice.
All participants (some living in nursing homes) were assessed before and after for frailty, which is characterized by decreased physical functioning across several domains, such as gait speed, strength, endurance, and balance. People who are frail may have difficulty walking and lifting themselves from a chair or bed, for example—and frailty is associated with increased ill health and mortality.
The researchers, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that there was good evidence that yoga, compared to inactive control groups, improved certain frailty metrics, especially gait speed as well as lower-extremity strength and endurance, with evidence being lower for other frailty markers. When compared to active control groups, such as tai chi or other exercise, yoga had similar benefit in improving frailty markers.
Because of great variability in the types of yoga done and the number of sessions, the authors couldn’t say which yoga elements and what “dose” was best—but a good goal is to practice yoga at least two to three times a week. In particular, Iyengar-based yoga can be customized for home practice in older people, including doing it from a chair. If you have a musculoskeletal problem or previous injury, talk with your doctor before starting any yoga practice, since certain poses might be contraindicated for you.
“Yoga may affect certain frailty markers that are associated with clinically meaningful outcomes in older adult populations,” the paper concluded. However, it “may not offer benefit over active interventions like exercise or tai chi,” the authors also acknowledged, meaning that if yoga is not your cup of tea, the good news is that if you engage in other types of exercise, you’re likely to gain similar benefits.
