Can yoga slow down aging?

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By Elise Cantrell • March 10, 2010

Many people think yoga is only for the young and flexible. Actually, people of all ages and fitness levels can benefit from yoga practice, and it's never too late to start.

Yoga keeps the body and mind young in a number of ways. First, it has been shown to keep the joints and spine lubricated and flexible, preventing and easing arthritis.
It also lengthens muscles, developing flexibility, which is the key to mobility. It is said that if you practice yoga, you will still be able to bend over and tie your shoes when you're 80.

Balance is another benefit of yoga practice. Older people tend to fall more easily as the natural sense of balance decreases. Yoga challenges that and redevelops a sense of balance.

Yoga also strengthens the muscles and bones by supporting your own weight in different positions and postures relative to gravity. Weight-bearing activities are proven to prevent osteoporosis.

Weight loss is another benefit of yoga. It is reported that people who practice yoga weigh an average of 15 pounds less than those who don't. By weighing less, your body feels, looks and acts younger.

Yoga also keeps the mind young. It has long been known to reduce the effects of stress and tension. This counteracts the stress hormones that are known to cause high blood pressure, heart disease and have been linked to Alzheimer's.
Learning new things is said to keep the brain youthful. There are approximately 2600 yoga poses to learn, perfect and keep the mind active.

A great example of yoga's anti-aging effects is that of my father, who took up yoga at my urging in his early 60s. One day, he was out in his driveway talking to a neighbor when he tripped over a brick. Instead of falling flat on his face, he instantly caught himself with his hands, hovering inches above the cement in "crocodile" pose.

His neighbor was astonished, and my dad stood without a bump or bruise or a broken hip.

If you are looking for the "fountain of youth," yoga comes pretty close.
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