Yoga

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 5 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials. Trials that found it ran as little as 8 weeks, typically 14.

A 2026 pooled analysis whose study designs were not recorded reported a beneficial effect on glutathione (SMD of 5.89; 95% confidence interval: 2.09 to 9.70), while another pooled analysis of randomized trials found reduced MDA but no significant changes in glutathione or SOD.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 5 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies. Trials that found it ran as little as 4 weeks, typically 7.

A 2025 review reported reduced pain in people with arthritis, with high heterogeneity (I^2=98%). A separate review described improvements after 3 and 6 months of Hatha yoga in neuropathic pain, low back pain, disability, and lumbar mobility among 1,009 people.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

8 of 9 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial. Trials that found it ran as little as 4 weeks, typically 8.

A 2025 review reported that Yogasana improved shoulder abduction mobility compared with physiotherapy in an analysis of 240 people. Another review reported improvements in flexibility and balance, but did not record the study designs.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A 2025 review found improved self-reported mindfulness in the experimental groups of three studies. In a 2024 cross-sectional study, women practicing yoga for at least 150 min per week had higher trait mindfulness scores than non-physically active women who did not practice yoga; this comparison does not establish cause and effect.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial. Trials that found it ran as little as 4 weeks, typically 7.

A review reported improved self-reported social functioning, emotional role functioning, and mental health in the yoga group among 51 people. A 2025 randomized trial also found improvement in social relatedness and adaptability within the intervention group among 40 people.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial. Trials that found it ran as little as 10 weeks, typically 17.

A review described improvements in flow-mediated dilatation and changes in endothelial progenitor cells with regular asana, pranayama, and meditation practice. A randomized trial found an increase over time.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

5 of 6 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial. Trials that found it ran as little as 8 weeks, typically 9.

A review reported improved attention and impulse control in the yoga group, alongside greater gains in emotional well-being and reductions in antisocial behavior, among 1,815 people. In a 2026 randomized trial, all postures increased net attempts on the Letter-Digit Substitution Test, which the study interpreted as suggesting enhanced attention; 64 people took part.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies. Trials that found it typically ran 9 weeks.

A review reported increased self-compassion and perceived coping resources alongside reductions in post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms. In a separate study of 12 people, body satisfaction increased and the number of body parts reported with dissatisfaction decreased from pre-test to post-test in the yoga group; the control group had no significant changes.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 4 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

In a 2026 review of 290 people, reported comparisons showed menstrual frequency changes of *+0.89 cycles/month vs *+0.48 cycles/month and menstrual-problem score changes of *–2.35 vs *–1.13. A separate review listed hormonal balance as an outcome but did not provide a numerical result.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review reported that a Hatha-based anger self-management intervention reduced anger, anxiety, and depression without increasing disciplinary incidents. Another review described improved emotional regulation in five studies, associated with changes in activity and connectivity across several brain regions.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A 2026 review of randomized trials reported that Kundalini Yoga improved hippocampal structure. A separate review described MRI findings suggesting possible changes in gray matter density and brain connections.

Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

A 2026 randomized trial involving 49 participants found improved dry eye symptom scores with yoga (Post-OSDI yoga 10.00 vs control 18.00); lower OSDI scores indicate improvement. A review also described meditation and pranayama as adjuncts associated with reduced intraocular pressure in glaucoma.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

60 of 73 studies found a benefit; 13 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

29 of 32 studies found a benefit; 3 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2025 pooled analysis of randomized trials found a small improvement in emotional well-being among 3,608 people. Findings differ by population: another analysis found improved psychological menopausal symptoms, while a 2026 pooled analysis found no statistically significant effects among women with existing symptoms.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

13 of 15 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded reported lower total cholesterol, including a reduction with yoga therapies lasting more than 12 weeks among 1,090 people. Results disagree: a 2026 pooled analysis found no effect on total cholesterol.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

12 of 14 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2026 pooled analysis of randomized trials reported that yoga reduced HbA1c by 0.64%; another 2026 pooled analysis found no benefit for fasting blood glucose, so the findings differ by glucose measure.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

22 of 26 studies found a benefit; 4 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2025 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found lower systolic blood pressure among 2,007 people in its analysis. Results disagree: a 2026 pooled analysis of randomized trials found that the reduction was not statistically significant under its random-effects model among 606 people in its systolic blood pressure analysis.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

28 of 34 studies found a benefit; 6 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

58 of 73 studies found a benefit; 15 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2025 pooled analysis of randomized trials found reduced depressive symptoms among 3,608 people in its analysis. Studies disagree: a 2026 pooled analysis of randomized and non-randomized human studies found no statistically significant difference between groups among 220 people in its depression analysis.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

9 of 17 studies found a benefit; 8 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2026 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found weight loss with interventions lasting <12 weeks among 106 people. Results differ across analyses: a 2025 pooled analysis found no significant weight difference among 269 people in its analysis.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

17 of 24 studies found a benefit; 7 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2024 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found improved physical function among 386 people. Results vary: a 2025 review found no significant differences in self-reported disability across yoga, Pilates, and isometric exercise groups among 56 people.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

16 of 17 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2026 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found improved ADAS-Cog scores among 663 people; lower scores on this inverted scale indicate improvement. A separate review reported improved fluid cognition with restorative yoga at week 12, but rated the cognitive evidence very low; findings vary across populations and measures.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

49 of 57 studies found a benefit; 8 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Pooled analyses whose designs were not recorded found lower salivary cortisol and higher IgA immediately after yoga among 195 people, and lower mean serum cortisol after 6 weeks among 60 people. Studies disagree: a 2026 pooled analysis of randomized and non-randomized human studies found no statistically significant difference in stress between groups among 155 people in its stress analysis.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

12 of 16 studies found a benefit; 4 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2025 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found increased RMSSD among 90 people. Findings are mixed: a 2026 pooled analysis of randomized trials found an RMSSD effect in the common-effects model but not in the random-effects model among 147 people in its RMSSD analysis.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

26 of 31 studies found a benefit; 5 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2024 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found reduced pain among 651 people. Studies disagree for some pain-related outcomes: a 2026 pooled analysis of randomized and non-randomized human studies could not establish a clear direction for pain related to lymphedema.

Studies disagree: some found a benefit, others found none. Do not count on it.

7 of 9 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2024 pooled analysis of randomized and non-randomized human studies found increased brachial flow-mediated dilation among 395 people. Evidence for broader cardiovascular outcomes differs: a review found a non-statistically significant trend for a combined endpoint of death, non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, and emergency cardiovascular hospitalization among 3,959 people.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

3 of 4 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A pooled analysis of randomized trials found a small improvement in sexual function, involving 730 people in its sexual-function analysis. The findings concerned people with concussion or post-concussion syndrome, and the review noted risk-of-bias concerns in nine RCTs (90%).

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

6 of 11 studies found a benefit; 5 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A pooled analysis whose study designs were not recorded found reduced stiffness among people with osteoarthritis.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review of studies involving people with conditions including back pain and rheumatoid arthritis reported increased hand grip strength compared with no intervention. The size of the increase was not stated in the finding.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

3 of 5 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2026 pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded reported lower triglycerides. A separate review also reported lower triglyceride levels, while another pooled analysis reported a very low-density lipoprotein result that was not statistically significant.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A pooled analysis whose study designs were not recorded found a decrease in respiratory rate with yoga compared with control among people with glaucoma (62 people in its respiratory-rate analysis).

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review reported that bone mineral density improvements were limited to specific subgroups. In 9 premenopausal female Hot Yoga teachers, long-term practice was associated with increases in bone mineral density of +7% at the femoral neck, +2% at the total hip, and +1% at the

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

4 of 7 studies found a benefit; 3 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

11 of 15 studies found a benefit; 4 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2025 pooled analysis of randomized trials found improved static balance compared with no intervention among four trials. Results differed when yoga was compared with other exercise therapies: a 2026 pooled analysis found no statistically significant differences.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

In a randomized trial involving people with hypothyroidism, TSH decreased from 5.07 to 3.14 mU/L in the yoga group. A review also found that some studies reported decreases in TSH while others reported non-significant decreases.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

7 of 11 studies found a benefit; 4 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.

A 2026 pooled analysis of randomized trials found improved FVC % predicted after 6 wk compared with control among 347 people. Findings were not consistent across comparisons: another analysis found no statistically distinguishable differences between yoga and usual care on a respiratory quality-of-life measure among 103 people.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a study that followed people over time.

In a cohort of 7,502 pregnant people, some and high yoga were associated with fewer APOs in fully adjusted models. This was an association, not evidence that yoga caused the difference.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review concerning people with hypertension reported increased nitric oxide alongside changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

In a randomized trial involving 59 people receiving care for drug addiction, the yoga-based therapy group reached withdrawal stabilization sooner than the usual-care group: median time was 5 days compared with 9 days.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review reporting on a UK randomized trial described reduced perceived stress and negative affect, alongside improved behavioral inhibition on a Go/No-Go task.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

In a 2026 randomized trial involving 80 participants, reaction time improved from 0.59 s to 0.48 s; the control group also showed marginal improvement.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review reporting on a UK randomized trial described gains in emotional well-being and reductions in antisocial behavior, alongside improved attention and impulse control.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a non-randomized trial.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

6 of 10 studies found a benefit; 4 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

An 8-week Hot Yoga program with 3 sessions per week was associated with changes in isometric deadlift strength (+13% for Hot Yoga vs. -4% for non-exercising control) and isometric maximal voluntary contraction (+14% vs. -10%). Results differ across analyses: a 2026 pooled analysis found the lower-extremity muscle-strength estimate fell to borderline significance after adjustment.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

In a 2026 randomized trial involving 64 people with migraine, the experimental group improved more than the control group on interoceptive accuracy measured by the Heartbeat Counting Task.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

A randomized trial found a greater reduction in loneliness with yoga than with control over time. A separate randomized trial also reported a reduction on the UCLA-3 measure among people with addiction.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review of studies using the IBS Symptom Severity Scale as the primary outcome reported improvements in symptoms with yoga, with effect sizes ranging from Cohen's d range: 0.37–3.60.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

In people with PCOS, a review reported decreases in mFG scores in two studies: *–1.74 vs *–0.29 and *–1.13 vs *+0.06. The review notes that a decrease in mFG indicates improvement.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a non-randomized trial.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

A 2026 randomized trial involving 96 people found a difference in upper-limb lymphoedema volume after the intervention.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

In a randomized trial involving 59 people receiving care for drug addiction, sleep latency improved by approximately 61 minutes more in the yoga-based therapy group than in the usual-care group.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a non-randomized trial.

A quasi-experimental study involving 25 people with PCOS reported regular menstrual cycles and conception during or after a 12-week yoga intervention among participants with a history of infertility.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

A 2026 randomized trial involving 64 people found an increase in Corsi span in the experimental group, indicating improved spatial working memory; the control group showed no significant change.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A 2026 systematic review pooling randomized trials included hematological profile among the outcomes considered in studies involving amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and PMS.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

In a nada yoga trial, nausea and vomiting improved among 49 people. A review of yoga interventions for cancer-related symptoms described reduced nausea after chemotherapy, but did not find an effect on vomiting outcomes.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

A randomized trial in people with gastrointestinal conditions found that GSRS mean scores fell from 99.23 to 16.92 in the yoga group and from 98.92 to 62.46 in the control group. Findings disagree: a pooled analysis of randomized trials involving 535 people found no difference between yoga and control groups in gastrointestinal symptom severity.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a narrative review.

A 2026 narrative review reported increased parasympathetic tone and frontal EEG coherence, alongside decreased sympathetic tone. Human evidence for this effect has not been established.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a narrative review.

A review reported that yoga practitioners showed no age-related gray matter decline, which was interpreted as suggesting a neuroprotective effect. This finding comes from a review rather than direct human evidence.

Too few or too small studies to know if it works.

The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a narrative review.

A review reported that yoga practice was associated with fewer headaches and less need for medication. This finding comes from a literature review rather than direct human evidence.

Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.

The one study found a benefit.

Stretching and relaxation components of yoga may reduce the frequency and intensity of nocturnal and exercise-associated muscle cramps.

Only people's own stories online. No study has tested it.

The one study found a benefit.

Expert knowledge describes yoga as supporting postural alignment and awareness through neuromuscular re-education and core stabilization, particularly for sedentary individuals.

Only people's own stories online. No study has tested it.

The one study found a benefit.

Sustained stretching, slow breathing, and relaxation components of yoga are described as reducing muscle tension and perceived muscle stiffness.

Only people's own stories online. No study has tested it.

The one study found a benefit.

Slow breathing and relaxation components of yoga may shift autonomic balance toward parasympathetic activity, reflected in higher vagally mediated HRV; effects vary with style and breath-work content. The effect was mentioned in 3 of 327 community reports, which are personal reports rather than evidence.

Only people's own stories online. No study has tested it.

The one study found a benefit.

Mindful movement and balance challenges in yoga may enhance joint-position sense and body awareness, supporting motor control and injury prevention. The effect was mentioned in 3 of 327 community reports, which are personal reports rather than evidence.

Studies looked for a benefit and did not find one.

The one study found no benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.

A review found no significant effects on kidney function measured acutely or over a 12 month period in hot yoga

Studies looked for a benefit and did not find one.

The one study found no benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.

The studies did not support a yoga-specific improvement in spatial reasoning: in a 2026 trial involving 64 people with migraine, both groups increased their Corsi total scores, but there was no significant difference in the group-by-time interaction.

Studies looked for a benefit and did not find one.

0 of 2 studies found a benefit; 2 found none.