Yoga Medical News Daily

Power of Movement 2010 event to raise funds for arthritis research

Billed as the world's largest yoga fundraiser, on Sunday, March 7, thousands of Canadians will join the Power of Movement 2010 to raise money for critical arthritis research. Since the fundraiser's inception just four years ago, Power of Movement has raised almost $400,000 benefiting 4.5 million Canadians who live with arthritis and autoimmune diseases. 

Throughout the day of March 7, large-scale Power of Movement yoga "mega-sessions" will take place in 10 cities coast-to-coast including Vancouver, Nanaimo, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal and Halifax. There's still time for Canadians to register to participate in a yoga mega-session and start collecting pledges.  

Funds raised in 2010 will benefit arthritis and autoimmune disease research priorities across Canada, through the Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC) Foundation, one chapter of The Arthritis Society (TAS) and the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN).

For more information on arthritis and related autoimmune disorders that may affect musculoskeletal health, see Arthritis & Autoimmune on the Power of Movement 2010 site and also beatarthritis.ca Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Center Foundation. 

Resistance training for seniors benefits cognitive function

While this study did not focus on an intervention directly related to yoga, the resistance part of the intervention could very well be duplicated using yoga exercises; and the balance and tone training part of the article mentions using "tai chi–based forms."   

The study compared the effect of once-weekly and twice-weekly resistance training with that of twice-weekly balance and tone exercise training on the performance of executive cognitive functions in 155 community-dwelling women aged 65 to 75 years living in Vancouver. The women were "allocated to once-weekly (n = 54) or twice-weekly (n = 52) resistance training or twice-weekly balance and tone training (control group) (n = 49). . . .  Both resistance training groups significantly improved their performance on the Stroop test compared with those in the balance and tone group (P < or = .03). Task performance improved by 12.6% and 10.9% in the once-weekly and twice-weekly resistance training groups, respectively; it deteriorated by 0.5% in the balance and tone group. Enhanced selective attention and conflict resolution was significantly associated with increased gait speed.. . .  

CONCLUSION: Twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00426881. Abstract: PubMed. Published as: "Resistance training and executive functions: a 12-month randomized controlled trial," Archives of Internal Medicine [2010 Jan 25;170(2):170-8]

Hatha yoga for depression: still up in the air

This review focused on the evidence for the efficacy of hatha yoga for depression and possible mechanisms by which yoga may have an impact on depression. 

The researchers did a literature search for clinical trials examining yoga for depression and uncovered eight trials: 5 including individuals with clinical depression, and 3 for individuals with elevated depression symptoms. "Although results from these trials are encouraging, they should be viewed as very preliminary because the trials, as a group, suffered from substantial methodological limitations." The authors argue that there are several reasons to consider constructing careful research on yoga for depression and detail their reasons for continued research.

Abstract: PubMed. "Hatha yoga for depression: critical review of the evidence for efficacy, plausible mechanisms of action, and directions for future research," Journal of Psychiatric Practice [2010 Jan;16(1):22-33]

Yoga outdoors in the sun

For many of our readers in the southern hemisphere, it is now a sunny time. And not too far off, many of us in the northern hemisphere will be enjoying spring time, sun and fresh air as well.  

Those of us who focus on health-related trends and ever-changing approaches to what makes us healthier, cannot have help but be aware of resurgence of interest in vitamin D and its importance.  And as regards yoga  —  to consider a way of making a healthy exercise even healthier. There are now yoga-in-the-park and other outdoor yoga events worldwide. But most yoga is still takes place in a studio setting far removed from the sun's rays.

Now may be the time to consider our current yoga lifestyle. For some of us, it consists of the day spent in an office and then going from the office to an indoor yoga studio for exercise. Maybe it's time to think about other routines for a few times a week — yoga on the apartment balcony, yoga in your back yard/garden, or yoga and a picnic in the park. Or do a little cross-training and take an hour walk or jog.

To conclude, here is just one of dozens of recent medical studies that deal with the issue of vitamin D and health. This study found that women who reported spending on average of less than 30 minutes versus more than 2 hours outside in daylight year round at the the study's year 4 follow-up, had a 20% increased risk of breast cancer. The researchers observed that the association "between time spent outside and breast cancer risk support the hypothesis that vitamin D may protect against breast cancer."  Abstract: PubMed. "Incident invasive breast cancer, geographic location of residence, and reported average time spent outside," Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention [2009 Feb;18(2):495-507]  

Medical Student Wellness Program at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine

The Vanderbilt Medical Student (VMS) Wellness Program, described in this article, consists of three core components: The Advisory College Program, The Student Wellness Committee, and VMS LIVE. Each of the core components includes separate and unique individual programs, but each of these three components collaborates with the other two to accomplish the broad wellness goal of maximizing student health, happiness, and potential. 

Commentary within the article includes references to the Student Wellness Committee and such activities as mindful eating, yoga, as well as references to mindfulness.

"The VMS Wellness Program is the first published model of a comprehensive medical student wellness initiative. The development and design of the program described in this article may serve as a framework for other institutions."  Appearing as "A Comprehensive Medical Student Wellness Program—Design and Implementation at Vanderbilt School of Medicine," Academic Medicine [85(1), January 2010; 103-110]  More details:  Vanderbilt University Medical Center Student Wellness Committee.