Hot yoga could help treat depression symptoms, Mass General study finds
BOSTON – Doing a certain type of yoga may be especially good for your mental well-being.
According to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, heated yoga, commonly known as "hot yoga," could help treat symptoms of depression.
In a randomized controlled trial, 80 adults with moderate to severe depression were randomized to either perform 90 minutes of Bikram yoga in a 105-degree Fahrenheit room at least twice a week for eight weeks or get placed on a waitlist.
The subjects in the yoga group reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms.
In fact, nearly 60-percent of the yoga participants had a 50% or greater reduction in symptoms compared to only 6% of the waitlist participants.
And 44% in the yoga arm had such low depression scores that they were considered in remission.
They say "hot yoga" could provide a non-medicinal approach to depression treatment with the added bonus of physical fitness.