Joseph James Echevarria President and Chief Executive Officer | School of Education and Human Development News & Events University of Miami
The Max Orovitz Laboratory presents a unique scene as participants engage in a new yoga class. The class appears typical at first glance with yoga mats and a seated instructor, Brooke Fitzgerald of the University of Miami, at the front. However, the class, known as YogaCue, begins with Fitzgerald asking the participants, "Let's go into the blue flow," marking a shift from traditional methods. The seniors, aged 60 to 85, perform synchronized poses without visual cues from the instructor. They’ve memorized sequences as part of a study aimed at enhancing cognitive capabilities.
The University of Miami's Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Florida, leads the study. It compares the impacts of YogaCue with Hatha Yoga, focusing on physical and cognitive performance in seniors. The study's current phase includes about 15 participants over six months.
Professor Joseph Signorile and doctoral student Kylie Martinez designed YogaCue to speed up pose execution and reduce breaks, creating interval training that pressures aerobic and anaerobic systems. "We modified yoga in two ways by increasing the speed at which the poses are performed as well as shortening the times between the poses," Signorile explains.
During YogaCue classes, participants learn to respond to color-linked pose cues and are prepared for additional visual and sound cues to test mental resilience. "They have to react to external cues in order to do the exercise as opposed to just watching the instructor," Signorile comments.
Frances Vega, a participant in her 60s, finds the class challenging but has noticed improvements in her balance and flexibility. Meanwhile, Sally Philips, 81, values the class for helping her reestablish yoga discipline, noting similar balance enhancements.
YogaCue aims to bolster seniors' executive functions, crucial for daily activities like crossing streets, which require attention to multiple cues. The study is funded by a McKnight Brain Research Foundation grant and involves the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which is assessing retinal blood flow to evaluate yoga's cognitive impact. "They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but we say the eyes are the window to the brain," emphasizes Signorile.
Martinez stresses the importance of exercise for older adults facing issues like bone density loss and mobility challenges. She highlights yoga's comprehensive bodily benefits, stating, "Regularly using your muscles and cardiovascular system is important to your well-being."
The study results are expected to shed light on whether engaging in YogaCue benefits cognitive functions through improved brain blood flow.
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