A 20-minute yoga session immediately improves speed and the number of hits on tests that assess working memory. And in addition, this exercise increases the ability of the brain to stay focused, learn new information, retain it and apply it, according to a study just published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health .
Specifically, the authors of the research, scientists from Wayne State University (USA), put to the test the cognitive effects of hatha-yoga , the most practiced active yoga style in the West and based on sequences of postures that work the whole body . This modality includes isometric contractions and relaxations of different muscles, as well as controlled breaths. Compared to other forms of intense aerobic exercise, such as running for the same period of time before solving a memory and learning test, yoga achieved much higher cognitive performance.
