Mindfulness yoga was more effective in relieving the psychological distress of Parkinson disease (PD) than conventional exercise, according to a trial study published in JAMA Neurology.
The 138 study participants who had mild to moderate PD were randomly assigned to 8 weekly group sessions of 90-minute mindfulness yoga or 60-minute stretching and resistance exercise (SRTE).
The yoga group had greater improvement in psychospiritual outcomes, including anxiety and depression, perceived hardship, perceived equanimity, and health-related quality of life than did the SRTE group at 8 weeks and 20 weeks.
The improvements in the yoga group were moderate to large.
Both groups showed similar significant improvement in motor symptoms and mobility.