Benefits Of Yoga: 117 Health Conditions Studied

What are the benefits of yoga? The short answer

The benefits of yoga that people notice first are better flexibility, strength and balance, less stress, better sleep and a calmer mind. Beyond that, researchers have studied yoga for a long list of health conditions. Dr Timothy McCall, a medical doctor and yoga therapist, lists 117 health conditions where scientific studies had found yoga helpful, as of June 2019. The full list is below, written out and grouped by body system, with links to our articles.

Yoga is not a replacement for medical care, and many of the studies are small. But used alongside your doctor’s advice, it can make a real difference. At Flametree Yoga Studio in Darwin and LIVE online, your first class is free if you are new, and then you can get 12 classes for $59.50 (10 at half price plus 2 free).

Here is this page in short form:

Everyday benefits: flexibility, strength, balance, calm, sleep.
Health conditions: McCall’s list of 117, grouped by body system.
Our articles: 21 conditions link to a Flametree article now, and more are coming.
Honest limits: yoga works alongside medical care, not instead of it.
How to start: first class free, in Darwin or online.

New to yoga? First class FREE, then 12 classes for $59.50 | Online & Studio

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Some of yoga’s many outcomes for anyone

benefits of yoga for men, women and seniors

Some of the benefits of yoga students tell us about most often.

Three ways we know about the benefits of yoga

On this site we use three ways of knowing. Research: what modern studies have tested, such as the studies behind McCall’s list. Practice: what yoga teachers and the yoga tradition have learnt over thousands of years, much of which has not yet been tested by modern research (not yet tested is not the same as disproven). Students: what people tell us after practising with us. Each article linked below sets out which is which.

Two examples of the research. In a 2013 Australian trial, older people who did 12 weeks of Iyengar yoga twice a week improved their balance, sit-to-stand and walking speed compared with people who were given only a falls booklet (Tiedemann and others, Journals of Gerontology, 2013, read the study). For chronic low back pain, a 2022 Cochrane review found yoga gave small improvements in pain and function compared with no exercise, and about the same results as other back exercise (Wieland and others, 2022, read the review). Benefits are real but often modest, and they build with regular practice.

Who is Dr Timothy McCall?

Dr McCall is an American medical doctor and yoga therapist, the author of Yoga as Medicine, and a former medical editor of Yoga Journal. He keeps a list of “Health Conditions Helped by Yoga”, based on scientific studies. His June 2019 version lists 117 conditions, with more than 40 pages of references to the studies, condition by condition.

Standing poses build strength, stamina and flexibility.

What students have told me over 25 years of teaching

I (Chris Lalor) am not surprised by the length of Dr McCall’s list. It is consistent with what I regularly see in my teaching at Flametree Yoga.

In my 25 years as a yoga teacher, the most surprising thing is how little many health professionals know about how yoga can help. Some give advice about yoga that does not match how it is taught today, and I have seen students stop yoga when a modified practice would have suited them. If you are unsure, bring your question to class: a certified Iyengar teacher can adapt the poses to you.

What people say they get from yoga

A Yoga Alliance survey of its members found the top five reasons for starting yoga were flexibility (61 percent), stress relief (56 percent), general fitness (49 percent), better overall health (49 percent) and physical fitness (44 percent).

Students also tell us about these benefits:

flexibility and physical strength
less stress, and fewer upsets
less pain
compassion, self-confidence and focus
general fitness and health.

There are also articles on the benefits of yoga for women, for men, for seniors, and of gentle yoga.

Dr McCall’s list of 117 health conditions, grouped by body system

Here is the whole list from McCall’s June 2019 poster, “117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga (as found in scientific studies as of June 2019)”, written out so it is easy to read and search. His own number for each condition is shown in brackets. Where Flametree has an article on a condition, there is a link. Articles on more conditions are coming, and links will be added here as each one is published.

Being on the list means at least one study found yoga helpful for that condition. It does not mean yoga makes the condition go away, or that the evidence is equally strong for every item. For some conditions the studies used yoga as part of rehabilitation alongside other care.