Paper Details

Yoga is a spiritual, mental, and physical discipline-based activity practised thousands of years ago and originated in India. Yoga is a science-rich unique holistic approach that focuses on harmony between mind and body. Exercise neuroscientists and physiologists long acknowledged the health benefits of physical postures, meditation and breathing exercises, however, recent research has demonstrated that breathing and meditation practices provide active attentional benefits as well. Scientific evidence-based research on yoga creates interest among the research fraternity. This article highlights the current understanding of yoga asanas and their documented positive impacts on body fat percentage. We reviewed 13 studies examining the effects of yogic asanas practice on body fat percentage. Collectively, the studies show a positive effect of yogic asanas practices on the different elements of body composition. The studies offer promising evidence that yogic asanas practice may hold promise to mitigate body fat percentage along with other body composition elements.

Body fat percentage; BMI, Asanas; PRISMA 2020; yoga