Yoga to help manage obesity-related heart and metabolic risks

By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.Reviewed by Lauren HardakerApr 27 2026

New evidence shows yoga may support heart and metabolic health in people with excess weight, but the benefits are modest, population-specific, and far from a standalone solution. 

Study: Impact of yoga on cardiometabolic health in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Image credit: PeopleImages/Shutterstock.com

Scientists have recently conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of yoga interventions on cardiometabolic health outcomes in adults with overweight or obesity. This review has been published in PLOS Global Public Health.

The challenge of high BMI and the role of physical activity

High BMI, indicating overweight and obesity, is a major public health issue tied to increased disease and mortality from cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal conditions. Inactivity further increases metabolic and cardiovascular risks through chronic inflammation and abnormal lipid balance, leading to reduced mobility and quality of life. Consequently, nonpharmaceutical interventions such as exercise are prioritized to address the health and economic impacts of obesity.

Physical activity (PA) is a safe and effective approach for preventing and managing excess body weight and related conditions such as sarcopenia in obese people. However, adults with obesity are generally less active than those without. Pain from inflammation and the stress of excess weight often limit activity, making it a major barrier for those with high BMI. Low- to moderate-intensity physical activity is generally favored because it minimizes pain and discomfort while supporting fitness and weight loss.

Yoga is a low-risk, accessible, and cost-effective exercise that combines movement, breathing, and relaxation. It provides a low to moderate intensity option for individuals with high BMI, enhancing fitness and aiding weight loss, especially for those with low baseline fitness. Additionally, yoga may improve cardiometabolic health by lowering blood pressure, optimizing lipid and glucose levels, and reducing inflammation.

Previous reviews show that yoga improves lipid profiles, blood pressure, blood glucose, and inflammation, but they haven't examined the potential impact of high BMI on these effects. This is a significant research gap, as excess weight can alter metabolic processes, indicating that those with high BMI may respond differently to yoga interventions.

Assessing yoga’s effects in overweight and obese populations

The current systematic review evaluates the effect of yoga on cardiometabolic outcomes in individuals with high BMI. Research that assessed blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, inflammation, and antioxidants as continuous variables was considered. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the chronic effects of yoga were included.

The authors included studies that evaluated yoga as a multi-component intervention (posture, breathing, and/or meditation). Therefore, those focusing on only one yoga component were excluded.

Studies that included participants with a high BMI according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and WHO Asia–Pacific guidelines (≥23 for Asians, ≥25 for others) were considered. Research that included participants with comorbidities like diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, or heart failure was excluded because of potential confounding effects.

Meta-analyses used random effects models, calculating mean or standardized mean differences as appropriate. Missing standard deviations were estimated using available data or correlations.

Study characteristics and overview

A comprehensive search across seven databases yielded 17,024 records. A total of 30 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were considered. The majority of the selected studies were conducted in Asia, predominantly India, with the remainder in Indonesia, Korea, the US, Germany, and Australia. The studies involved 2,689 participants, with intervention and control group sizes ranging from 8 to 383 and 8 to 375, respectively.

Most studies included both genders, though some enrolled only males or only females. However, most studies did not explicitly recruit individuals with overweight or obesity, instead including participants whose average BMI met the inclusion criteria, which may have introduced participants with normal BMI into analyses. Few studies specifically targeted overweight or obese individuals. Blood pressure outcomes were mainly reported in participants with prehypertension.

Redox status was assessed using markers such as MDA (malondialdehyde), homocysteine, GSH (glutathione), vitamin E, vitamin C, SOD (superoxide dismutase), and catalase. Inflammatory markers assessed included hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, sIL 2R, and adiponectin. Adiponectin and sIL-2R were reported in a single study each.

Meta-analysis suggests modest cardiometabolic benefits of yoga in adults with overweight or obesity

Meta-analyses showed that yoga modestly improved glucose metabolism in overweight or obese individuals, particularly on precise measures such as HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) and HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance), but had no significant effect on fasting or postprandial glucose. 

These effects were generally small, and participants often had normal baseline glucose levels, which may have limited observable improvements. Findings were observed across populations, but substantial variability remained, and no significant improvements for fasting glucose were observed in either Asian or non-Asian groups.

Yoga generally improved lipid profiles by reducing VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) and triglycerides and increasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein), although these changes were modest and often below clinically meaningful thresholds. These effects were largely observed in Asian populations. No significant changes were observed in total cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) among non-Asians.

Furthermore, yoga reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in high BMI individuals, especially among Asians, with no significant impact in non-Asian groups. While blood pressure reductions were more consistent, many pooled effects across outcomes did not exceed minimal clinically important differences.

It also reduced most pro-inflammatory markers and increased IL-10, an anti-inflammatory marker. However, the overall certainty of evidence for inflammation and redox outcomes was low to very low and should be interpreted with caution.

Most studies had notable risk of bias, mainly due to unclear randomization, baseline imbalances, missing data, and missing protocols, raising concerns about selection, attrition, and detection bias. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses assessed how intervention dosage and study quality influenced heterogeneity.

Analyses by participant baseline health status or yoga intensity were not feasible due to limited data. Findings indicated that intervention duration, session length, frequency, and study quality influenced the effects of yoga on cardiometabolic outcomes.

Stronger effects were observed in studies with low risk of bias and higher-dose yoga (at least 12 weeks, 60-minute sessions, three times per week), especially for lipid and blood pressure outcomes among Asians. These characteristics did not impact fasting or postprandial glucose or HbA1c. Limited data precluded further analysis for lower-dose interventions.

Yoga shows potential as adjunct therapy for obesity

The systematic review and meta-analysis highlighted the potential and generally modest positive effects of yoga on cardiometabolic health in adults with overweight or obesity. The findings suggest that yoga may help improve key health factors, including insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure, particularly for blood pressure and some lipid outcomes.

This supports the inclusion of yoga as a complementary or adjunctive treatment for managing metabolic health issues. However, further research is needed to clarify the optimal parameters for yoga practice and to strengthen evidence for glucose, inflammation, and redox outcomes, where current findings remain uncertain. Such insights will help healthcare professionals provide tailored yoga recommendations to achieve meaningful health improvements for individuals with excess weight.

Download your PDF copy by clicking here.