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Yoga Improves Memory and Brain Function in Older

Adults, Study Finds
October 3, 2023

Prolonged stress can have a deleterious effect on the brain, reducing your ability to think,
plan, and reason effectively. This is particularly true for the elderly. A study published in
Biological Psychology (see sources below) finds that yoga may moderate the stress
response and improve executive function in older adults, building on prior research that
finds that yoga is good for your brain.

Neuroendocrine research finds that brain exposure to higher concentrations of cortisol – a

key marker of stress – increases the risk for cognitive deficits as we age. Chronic stress
magnifies this effect, placing undue wear and tear on the brain and the autonomic nervous
system and increasing the risk for disease.

Yoga, which emphasizes mind-body integration, is theorized to attenuate these effects by

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increasing the relaxation response through activation of the parasympathetic nervous
system. This, in turn, decreases cortisol levels and inflammation and returns the mind, body, 
and brain to a state of balance, which can enhance cognitive functioning.
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3/20/24, 10:01 AM Yoga Improves Memory and Brain Function in Older Adults, Study Finds - YogaUOnline

Study Explores The Effect Of Yoga On Memory And

Cognitive Function

To test this theory, researchers randomly assigned 118 sedentary, community-dwelling older
adults (mean age = 62.02 years) to either an 8-week Hatha yoga intervention (n=61) or a
stretching control group (n=57). The majority of study adults were female, married, working
full time, well-educated, and moderately affluent. Ethnic minorities comprised 20% of the
overall sample. A proportion of the full sample had prior experience with yoga, however,
none of the participants currently maintained a regular yoga practice.

Each adult in the study completed an assessment before and after the intervention
consisting of self-report questionnaires measuring stress and anxiety. They were then given
tests of executive function and asked to provide samples of salivary cortisol.

Members of both groups attended hour-long yoga classes 3 times per week for 8-weeks.
Yoga classes were designed for beginners and led by a certified yoga instructor. Classes
included “new postures, breathing, and meditative exercises”. Postures included “warrior
pose, easy lotus pose, and sun salutations,” whereas breathing exercises included alternate
nostril breathing. Meditative components involved focusing on “thoughts, breath, and
mantra repetitions.” No mention was made of the yoga tradition informing these practices.

The stretching group attended hour-long sessions 3 times per week for 8 weeks that
excluded any form of yoga postures, breathing exercises, or meditative practices.
Movements included stretching and strengthening maneuvers that met the Center for
Disease Control’s anaerobic recommendations. Classes included warm-up and cool-down
periods and repetition of 8-10 different exercises taught by a certified personal trainer.

A total of 108 adults completed the study (attrition rate of 8.47%), suggesting that both the
yoga and stretching programs were feasible. There were no differences between those who
completed the intervention and those who dropped out on any of the baseline
demographic or cognitive measures. Participation in the groups was relatively equivalent.
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3/20/24, 10:01 AM Yoga Improves Memory and Brain Function in Older Adults, Study Finds - YogaUOnline

Yoga Reduces Stress And Improves Executive

Function

At the conclusion of the 8-week intervention, yoga participants demonstrated less

physiological stress (as indicated by lower concentrations of salivary cortisol) than the
stretching control group, whose salivary cortisol actually increased. The yoga group also
reported feeling less stress and anxiety at the end of 8 weeks.

Greater improvements in cognitive functioning at the end of training were also indicated for
the yoga group compared to stretching controls. Specifically, yoga participants
demonstrated significantly improved working memory capacity and cognitive flexibility
relative to the control group. This is particularly encouraging news for older adults and those
experiencing high levels of persistent stress, both of which are at risk for declining cognitive
function.

How Yoga Benefits Mental Functioning

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Yoga involves the integration of physical movement with breath awareness and focused
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attention. Unlike most other disciplines, yoga facilitates neural communication between the
brain and body and the integration of both top-down and bottom-up cognitive processing.

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3/20/24, 10:01 AM Yoga Improves Memory and Brain Function in Older Adults, Study Finds - YogaUOnline

Top-down processing refers to conceptually driven mental events that are influenced by
thoughts, expectations, values, and beliefs. When engaging in top-down processing, you
use existing knowledge and seek out information and experiences that “fill in the blanks.”
This allows you to use accumulated knowledge as a frame of reference rather than figuring
out each situation from scratch. It also means that you are better able to regulate emotions
such as fear and anxiety.

In bottom-up processing, information from the external environment is filtered through the
brain’s emotional circuitry prior to being projected to higher-order “thinking” centers for
interpretation. For example, when a pedestrian steps in the path of your car, you slam on
the brakes to avert an accident. It isn’t until after an accident has been averted that you
interpret the details of the event. Top-down processing allows you to maintain composure
while tackling complex problems. Bottom-up processing aids in your immediate survival.
Both systems are necessary to maintain a healthy emotional balance.

Yoga is proposed to engage both the top-down and bottom-up systems. By coordinating
breath with movement, you become increasingly more aware of the physical and mental
events that shape your experience and are better able to focus and sustain attention. Try
standing on one foot while solving a complex problem, and you will notice that it is very
difficult to do both well. Yoga enables you to train and refine your mental energy and
harness it in appropriate ways when you need to.

This ability to integrate mind and body in the service of sustained focus, self-awareness, and
mental regulation may be why studies consistently find that practices such as yoga and
meditation enhance cognitive capacities and impact the brain networks that enhance our
capacity for mindful awareness, self-reflection, emotion regulation, working memory,
cognitive flexibility, and other competencies that are key to successful living and healthy
aging. In the years to come, we will undoubtedly continue to learn how and why yoga can
enable us to thrive throughout the lifespan.

B Grace Bullock, Ph.D., E-RYT 500, is a psychologist, research scientist,

educator, yoga and mindfulness expert, and author of Mindful
Relationships: Seven Skills for Success – Integrating the Science of
Mind, Body and Brain. Her mission is to reduce stress, increase health
and well-being and improve the quality of relationships. She offers
classes, workshops, writing, and research that combine the wisdom of
applied neuroscience, psychophysiology, psychology, and contemplative science and
practice. Her goal is to empower individuals, groups, leaders, and organizations to reduce
chronic stress and increase awareness, attention, compassion, mindfulness, and effective
communication to strengthen relationships, release dysfunctional patterns, and unlock
new and healthy ways of being. Dr. Bullock is also the Founding Director and Principal
Consultant of the International Science & Education Alliance, an organization devoted to
exceptional research, program evaluation, assessment design, strategic planning, and
capacity building to support equity, programmatic diversity, and scientific integrity and
promote effective leadership, decision-making, and social change. Bullock is a Certified
Viniyoga Therapist and Faculty at the Integrated Health Yoga Therapy (IHYT) Training SHARE
program. She is the former Senior Research Scientist at the Mind & Life Institute and former
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Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. For more information, see
www.bgracebullock.com. 
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Sources

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3/20/24, 10:01 AM Yoga Improves Memory and Brain Function in Older Adults, Study Finds - YogaUOnline

Gothe, N.P., Kramer, A.F. & McAuley, E. (2014). The effects of an 8-week Hatha Yoga
intervention on executive function in older adults. Journals of Gerontology A Biol Sci Med
Sci, 69(9), 1109-1116.

Gothe, N., Keswani, R.K. & McAuley, E. (2016). Yoga practice improves executive function by
attenuating stress levels. Biol Psychol. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.10.010

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