Effects of yoga on persons with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review.

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of yoga interventions in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), a population vulnerable to physical and mental health issues and in need of accessible, holistic therapies. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus up to March 2025. Study quality was assessed using PEDro and MINORS tools. Ten studies involving 518 participants met inclusion criteria. Yoga interventions (ranging from five weeks to 10 months) showed significant within-group improvements in balance, anthropometric measures, pulmonary and cardiovascular parameters. Between-group differences favored yoga over no intervention, although benefits were often comparable to other exercise modalities. Methodological quality was mostly "good" for RCTs, but lower for comparative studies. Yoga appears to be a promising strategy for improving balance, anthropometric parameters, and pulmonary function in individuals with ID.