Yoga is a type of exercise that involves moving the body into positions to improve flexibility, breathing, and relaxation of the mind. The evidence base for yoga is growing, with over 4,000 papers published on its health benefits in areas like mental health, cardiovascular health, pain, and women's health. While research varies in quality and sample sizes, systematic reviews found no difference in benefits between yoga styles. Yoga can potentially help as a life skill, self-care practice, or adjunct treatment. Challenges include ensuring competence and a strong evidence base to support yoga's role in health and wellbeing.

1. Yoga & Health & Wellbeing
Dr Justin Varney
Justin.varney@phe.gov.uk

2. Yoga
Yoga is a type of exercise in which you
move your body into various positions in
order to become more fit or flexible,
to improve your breathing, and to relax
your mind. (Collins Online Dictionary)
Yoga is present in a range of religions but
is also practices without religious
connection.
Broad range of schools and approaches to
practice, including an every growing digital
offer for self-guided practice.
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3. Evidence base
Number of papers published on yoga in
medical journals is growing rapidly.
To date 4,495 papers on the database
which include yoga.
208 specific systematic reviews, several
areas stand out in terms of focus –
mental health, cardiovascular health,
pain, women’s health and cancer.
In general findings are positive but
sample sizes in research are small and
methodologies vary a lot.
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0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Publication count of Peer Review
Publications on 'Yoga' on PubMed
Database 1988-2018

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Analysis of systematic
review topic focus from
2013-2018

5. Some caveats
Yoga research studies vary great in
quality and sample sizes are small
and intensity of yoga intervention is
high
Unclear physiological mechanism
of impact, metabolic energy
consumption of Hatha yoga would
not suggest it will impact on cardio-
metabolic health but CMO
supports as part of balance and
strength elements of guidelines for
adults and older people.
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6. Does it matter which form of yoga?
In simple terms, the research suggests..
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NO
A systematic review in 2016 by
Cramer et al, reviewed 306
randomized control trials which
included 53 different forms of yoga.
The review concluded that the
proportion of positive findings did not
vary between forms of yoga and
therefore the yoga form should be
based on personal preference and
availability.

7. Opportunities
• Yoga as a life skill
• Yoga as ‘self-care’
• Yoga as an ‘adjunct’
treatment
• Yoga as a patient
chosen treatment
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8. Challenges
• Confidence &
competence
• Evidence base &
business case
• Public stereotypes &
social narrative
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9. The Future
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• Life expectancy is expanding, but we
live more of our life with illness and
impairment.
• 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys aged 5yrs
today will reach their 100th birthday
which will influence work patterns and
types of work across the life course.
• Evolution of types of industry and
impact of technology especially on
‘low skilled work’ opportunities.
• Potential for increasing inequalities
and social division

10. Investing in prevention is key at an
individual level to being able to enjoy
life, remain economically active and
independent into later life.
For the business sector, ensuring
individuals are active across the life
course and investing in their own health
is essential to the economic viability of
local communities and the sustainability
of businesses.
At a national level, reducing inequalities
and enabling self-care and
independence longer in life is
imperative to improving the health, and
wealth, of the nation.
10 An overview of PHE’s matrix programme on work, worklessness and health

11. Yoga & Health & Wellbeing
Dr Justin Varney
Justin.varney@phe.gov.uk