Yoga Prevents Middle-Aged Spread

Middle-aged adults between the ages of 45 and 55 typically gain one pound a year, adding up to 10 pounds in a 10 year period. The average American adult gains at least 16 pounds of body weight between the ages of 25 to 54. Many midlife changes such as weight gain and hormonal imbalances can be prevented with healthy lifestyle changes. Now a study reports that yoga practice can help prevent middle-aged spread.

The Study: Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in healthy, middle-aged men and women.

The study, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, examined whether yoga practice is associated with slowing weight gain in middle-aged adults. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed data from the Vitamins and Lifestyle Study (VITAL), a survey of 15,550 adults with an average age of 55. Questionnaires obtained from the participants were analyzed for physical activity and correlated with body weight changes during the previous ten years. The subjects were asked if they participated in moderate or strenuous exercise and activities such as walking, weight lifting and hatha yoga (a gentle form of yoga).

The Results

The researchers found that normal weight participants who practiced yoga for more than four years had a 3.1-pound lower weight gain, than the normal weight participants who didn't practice yoga. Overweight participants who practiced yoga for more than four years had an 18.5-pound lower weight gain, than the overweight participants who didn't practice yoga. The overweight practitioners who practiced yoga at least once a week lost an average of 5 pounds. Their non-yogi counterparts gained 13 pounds.

The Main Point

"Regular yoga practice was associated with attenuated weight gain, most strongly among individuals who were overweight," the study authors conclude. "Although causal inference from this observational study is not possible, results are consistent with the hypothesis that regular yoga practice can benefit individuals who wish to maintain or lose weight."

This study is significant, because it shows that yoga can help prevent middle-aged weight gain, especially in overweight adults. The researchers suggest that yoga practice promotes qualities associated with positive lifestyle changes such as well being, body awareness, discipline and commitment.

Sources

Kristal AR et al. Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in healthy, middle-aged men and women. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;11(4):28-33. PubMed.gov.

Gavalas, Elaine. The Yoga Minibook for Longevity. Simon & Schuster, 2005, p. 147-148. simonandschuster.com.