September is National Yoga Awareness Month, which means you will likely hear a lot about the benefits of yoga in the news. What you may not realize is recent research suggests that yoga can play a big role in not only preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia but also improving symptoms and quality of life. If you provide dementia home care for an elderly parent in Jefferson County, here’s what you should know about the benefits of yoga.
Alzheimer’s-Related Memory Loss Reversed
For the first time, a study published last year found that the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia can be reversed. This study included yoga and meditation as part of a 36-point therapeutic program. In the small study, a comprehensive and personalized program was able to reverse memory loss in 9 out of 10 participants with memory that started to improve within 3-6 months.
This program included, among other things, yoga to reduce stress, eliminating simple carbs, and fasting for at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast.
Yoga Exercises the Brain
Yoga benefits seniors with dementia because it engages different regions of the brain based on the components of yoga, such as posture, movement, breathing, and concentration. This can also stimulate neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to recover and form new connections.
It’s believed that yoga can help prevent dementia and slow its progress by reducing inflammation and stress hormones, which can negatively impact the regions of the brain associated with cognition and memory.
Yoga Reduces Stress
Seniors with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s are often dealing with a great deal of stress, particularly during the early stages of the disease when they’re beginning to have memory problems and become aware that things aren’t quite right. One of the greatest and most documented benefits of yoga is its ability to reduce stress, improve depression, and support positive brain changes. This means regular yoga can help seniors with Alzheimer’s feel happier and find greater peace–and it can help Jefferson County Alzheimer’s caregivers manage stress, too.
If you’re the primary caregiver for a senior loved one experiencing memory loss, know that help is available. As a leading provider of elder care in Jefferson County, Home Care Assistance strives to change the way the senior population ages. All of our care services, including hourly, live-in, dementia, and Alzheimer’s care, include the use of our Cognitive Therapeutics Method, designed to slow mental decline. For more information, please call (303) 987-5992 and speak with a friendly Care Manager.