Yoga benefits older women. Women 65 and older can improve their fitness through yoga classes, according to a small study done by researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia. After nine weeks in a modified Iyengar program, 24 older women improved their average gait speed from 1.04 to 1.09 meters per second, and stride length from 1.11 meters to 1.16 meters on the left foot and from 1.12 to 1.16 meters on the right. Participants saw an improvement in range of motion in their hip flexors, ankles and big-toe joints. They were also able to stand longer on their right leg — 18.7 seconds before the program, and 23.1 seconds after. Body weight was better distributed on the subjects’ feet — and they even stood 1 centimeter taller. “Yoga, in the right training environment, can be beneficial,” says study lead author Dr. Jinsup Song of the university’s school of podiatric medicine. Los Angeles Times
