Watching the slow decline of someone with dementia is heartbreaking. Unlike a sudden death, you lose the person gradually as their memories fade and their mind becomes confused. As if the loss wasn’t enough, caring for someone with dementia is incredibly stressful and overwhelming.

While there is no cure, yoga and meditation are valuable tools for treating individuals diagnosed with dementia as well as reducing your risk for developing this disease.

Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Dementia is a decline in cognitive functioning beyond the typical effects of aging, affecting a person’s memory, attention, and ability to use language. It is a progressive and irreversible disease affecting more than 6 million people in the United States. While incredibly common among people 65 and older, dementia is not considered a typical part of aging.

There are many types and causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s being the most common. Alzheimer’s accounts for about two-thirds of cases in older adults. It is a degenerative brain disease caused by complex changes and cell damage in the brain.

Like other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s affects both how people feel, act, and function, as well as their physical health. Symptoms vary from person to person but generally include problems with:

• short-term memory
• communicating thoughts
• impaired visual and spatial abilities
• impaired motor function
• difficulty reasoning

In addition, all forms of dementia impact psychological well-being. Many individuals experience depression, anxiety, agitation, and paranoia. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe and include disorientation, confusion, and behavior changes. Eventually, speaking, swallowing, and walking also become difficult.

Can Yoga Help Dementia Patients? 

While there is no cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s, research suggests that yoga can play a valuable role in improving symptoms and quality of life for patients and their caregivers by:

• Improving memory and reducing cognitive decline
• reducing stress and inflammation
• Increasing vagal tone, helping to activate the “rest and digest” or parasympathetic nervous system following a stressful response
• Increasing circulation, respiration, range of motion, and mobility
• Improving body awareness
• Improving sleep quality
• enhancing sense of well-being, self-regulation, and mood

Yoga can also help reduce the risk of falls. Chair yoga provides notable benefits for individuals with moderate to severe dementia, who may have balance issues or are unable to sit on the floor or mat. Several studies of chair yoga for dementia patients found that participants improved their balance and body awareness. Researchers have also found that meditation, particularly mantra meditation, can be a very effective intervention.

In addition, group yoga classes provide a safe, social, and physical activity that may help alleviate the isolation that Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers often feel. Especially beneficial for caregivers are the stress management tools yoga offers.

While all this is good news, you might be wondering, “but can yoga help reduce my risk of developing dementia?” The answer is possibly.

5 Ways Yoga Prevents Dementia

A regular yoga practice can’t eliminate many of the risk factors for developing dementia, such as age, race, gender or your genetic makeup. It can, however, help you adopt healthy habits which experts say can lower your risk. Here’s how:

1) Control High Blood Pressure

Long-term research studies demonstrate that high blood pressure, or hypertension, has harmful effects on the heart, blood vessels, and brain, increasing the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. Yoga provides a set of tools, such as meditation and breathing, which are effective in lowering stress-induced blood pressure.

2) Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Research indicates that the practice of meditation and yoga can help reduce stress hormones in the body. This is important because stress hormones, like cortisol, increase inflammation and can negatively impact important brain structures – like the hippocampus – that regulate memory and cognition.

3) Stay Physically and Socially Active 

According to experts, regular physical activity is one the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia. Studies show that physically active people are less likely to experience declines in mental function, lowering their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

In addition, regular exercise can help combat depression and obesity, both risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Depression, in particular, is known to contribute to memory loss and increased risk of dementia.

Yoga is a great exercise choice, especially as we age, because of it’s emphasis on flexibility. Yoga also increases balance, an important skill for preventing falls. Attending a group yoga class (even if online) provides an opportunity to both move and stay socially connected.

4) Stay Mentally Engaged

Leisure activities such as reading, playing board games, or crafting keep your brain active, which experts believe helps to ward off dementia. A regular yoga practice can, too.

Small changes in memory and thinking, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), can occur as we age. While these may not interfere with day-to-day activities, over time, they can worsen, increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Studies show that while engaging in mentally stimulating activities, such as crossword puzzles, can help prevent cognitive decline, practicing yoga and meditation may be just as effective, if not better.

In addition, a growing number of studies point to an increase in positive brain and cognitive changes with yoga and meditation. Learning a new flow of postures or practicing meditation stimulates the brain, helping it form new neural connections and increase neuroplasticity.

5) Get Adequate Sleep 

Studies suggest that sleep patterns, especially in midlife, may contribute to dementia risk. Inadequate sleep has been linked to slower thinking and to abnormal levels of beta-amyloid protein in the brain. These proteins are believed to lead to the development of amyloid plaques typically found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Research shows that regular yoga practice cannot only help you get to sleep more easily but can also reduce sleep disturbances.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are dreadful diseases. Yoga can help you adopt healthy habits that can reduce your risk. And for those living with these conditions and their caregivers, incorporating yoga and meditation into their care plan has the potential to improve their quality of life and lessen their suffering. And isn’t that what yoga is all about?

Be well!

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Wisdom Tree Yoga’s goal is to share the transformative benefits of yoga with real people living with real life challenges. We welcome students of all levels, offering a safe, supportive environment that is inclusive, accessible, compassionate, and joyful. Join us, follow us, and stay in touch with us by clicking HERE.