6 ways yoga helps you heal after cancer By Mayo Clinic Staff Share Facebook Twitter Print details Did you know yoga can help you sleep and lower fatigue after cancer? A yoga routine can be 10 minutes a day or whatever works for you. Is it time for you to start? Learn how yoga can help heal the body and mind after cancer. Show transcript Being physically active after cancer helps your well-being and outcomes. Among physical activity options, yoga offers unique benefits. It reconnects your body and mind. The combo of controlled breathing and precise poses builds a bridge from mind to body. It improves sleep quality. Cancer survivors who do yoga at least twice a week sleep better than those who don't do yoga. It can relieve stress and depression. Yoga trains you to keep your attention in the present. This is a balm for mental health. It increases overall fitness. Yoga helps you gently regain balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. It reduces fatigue. By improving your sleep, mood and fitness, yoga also helps increase your energy. It can be tailored to your needs. Poses can be modified to honor limitations related to cancer treatment. Ask your instructor. Guidance from the experts at Mayo Clinic. Show references Yoga: Fight stress and find serenity. Mayo Clinic. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-whats-the-benefit-of-yoga/. Accessed June 1, 2020. Armer JS, et al. The impact of yoga on fatigue in cancer survivorship: A meta-analysis. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 2020; doi:10.1093/jncics/pkz098. Danhauer SC, et al. Yoga for symptom management in oncology: A review of the evidence base and future directions for research. Cancer. 2019; doi:10.1002/cncr.31979. Lin P-J, et al. Influence of yoga on cancer-related fatigue and on mediational relationships between changes in sleep and cancer-related fatigue: A nationwide, multicenter randomized controlled trial of yoga in cancer survivors. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2019; doi:10.1177/1534735419855134. VID-20508758