Sedentary older adults who practiced Hatha yoga three times per week for eight weeks showed improved performance on cognitive tasks relevant to everyday life. The 2014 study found gains in the kind of thinking required for daily functioning, not just lab measures.
Cognitive decline in older adults is not inevitable. This study adds to evidence that movement combined with breath and attention can maintain mental sharpness. Hatha yoga, with its emphasis on holding postures and coordinating breath, requires the same sustained focus that keeps cognitive pathways active.
Eight weeks is not a long commitment. Three sessions per week of Hatha yoga was enough to produce measurable cognitive improvement in people who had been sedentary.
Source: Yoga Research: Brain Structure & Function on ashtanga.tech. Original research.