Smart Woman: Healing, Helping Yoga
By: Lane Stone
Updated: September 15, 2010
Thinking about adding yoga to your already busy schedule? It may be worth the extra time. Yoga offers big benefits such as firmer muscles, more energy, and a relaxed mind. The ancient art doesn't just help the healthy, but also the sick.
A recent study shows cancer survivors who practice yoga sleep better, have more energy and have a better quality of life. This is good news for the many who experience side effects years after treatment ends.
According to Deborah Matza, Registered Nurse at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, "it also helps to facilitate circulation and helps digestion."
Beth Israel Medical Center teamed up with New York Zen Center to bring yoga to it's patients. The "yoga in the hospitals" trend is catching on in other places.
Elaine Meszaros, Registered Nurse CNS at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York says, "it helps people get through treatment, it helps people find hope and to fight."
Yoga may also prevent falls among older people. A Temple University study of 24 elderly women enrolled in yoga class showed they had better balance afterwards. They also walked faster, had longer strides, and on average stood one centimeter taller than the others.


