In a study carried out by the Brain Institute of the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, it was revealed that there are brain regions associated with functions such as attention and working memory throughout the natural aging process.
Through magnetic resonance imaging, it was found that some Yoga practitioners with similar health, age and education had better results in these functions.
“The tests showed that the prefrontal cortex of women who practiced yoga for at least 8 years was thicker when compared to non-practitioners”, said Rui Afonso, author of the article that was published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
“This result suggests that exercise has a neuroprotective role, slowing the brain degeneration that occurs with age in the same way that it slows the loss of muscle mass,” he continued.
The work was supported by scientists from the Federal University of ABC and Harvard Medical School, in the United States.
Yoga as a practice to combat brain aging
There are already well-known techniques such as crosswords, memory games and puzzles to strengthen memory. However, as proven by the study shown, Yoga is also a tool to strengthen memory!
It is important to note that practice strengthens memory, but does not cure a bad memory or diseases like Alzheimer’s. There is a perceived improvement when the body and mind are in tune, even if it is not
Yoga as an alternative to industrial drugs
Today we live much longer than our parents or grandparents did. On the other hand, we gain the risks of diseases, such as brain and others. And, contrary to what common sense says, brain aging starts early, from the age of 25
Our gray matter is formed by neurons, responsible for processing the stimuli we receive – reasoning, memory and emotions. And, over time, the mass shrinks, withers – in a continuous and obscure process.
“Until recently, we didn’t know whether meditation could actually change the brain’s aging process. In our study, we showed that in the brains of people who meditate, the loss of mass is less”, said Florian Kurth.
Studies show what we already knew: yoga and meditation are great for increasing our quality of life and overall health! Get started right now, get in touch.