“Can yoga help my son improve his concentration?”
My son is 18 years old and is in engineering school. Lately, he has been finding it hard to concentrate in his studies and feels tired right when he tries. Are there any ways to help him concentrate on his work? What about yoga?
14 Answers
Physical activity exercise surely improve cognition and overall mental health, maintaining daily routine, sleep hygiene and healthy food improves functional performance
Absolutely - if it includes a mindfulness component. Mindfulness, either in meditation or yoga, is very helpful for improving concentration and focus. It is also very calming. I have 8 and 10 years olds doing mindful meditation with their mothers or fathers every morning and they no longer have as severe anxiety or ADHD symptoms at school.
Difficulty with concentration could be either medical reason, like low thyroid levels, simple thing as insomnia or sleep apnea where you feel tired during the day. Psychological - which can include depression which can lead to lack of energy, lethargy and difficulty in focusing and in recall. This can lead to frustration. Anxiety can lead to difficulty with focusing and frustration and tiredness and lethargy. Yoga and meditation in this case is helpful. He can try apps like Calm or Headspace. Exercising is also known to help. Vitamins like b-complex every other day, vitamin d and calcium are additional supplements that are worth mentioning. I would also recommend a psychological evaluation
Great question,
Yes, improving your concentration like praying and exercising can improve concentration, so I can’t see why Yoga wouldn’t, it’s worth a shot.
Yes, improving your concentration like praying and exercising can improve concentration, so I can’t see why Yoga wouldn’t, it’s worth a shot.
Yoga can be a big help with relaxation and focus, however, your son may benefit from exercises specifically targeting the brain. Neuroplasticity exercises target the brain and have shown tremendous growth in the areas targeted by an exercises. Exercises can increase attention, memory and comprehension. It does take approximately 3 months to begin to see change, however, my patients feel the investment was well worth it. I have a number of college age students who are completing exercises online for 1 hour a day M-F.
Yoga is helpful to many people to improve their ability to focus. No physician can make a recommendation about one person without evaluating that person by talking to him, and examining him.
Yoga is a very good choice. Any sort of body movement martial arts or Tai chi as well.
Yes, activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, QiGong, Meditation, and even general exercise can help with concentration, as can stress management. Getting good quality sleep and having a regular schedule as well as a nutritious healthy diet are also helpful.
Phyllis J. Heffner, MD, FAPA, IFMCP
Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner
Holistic Child Psychiatry, LLC
10801 Hickory Ridge Rd, Suite 215
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 260-0344
www.holisticchildpsychiatry.com
Phyllis J. Heffner, MD, FAPA, IFMCP
Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner
Holistic Child Psychiatry, LLC
10801 Hickory Ridge Rd, Suite 215
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 260-0344
www.holisticchildpsychiatry.com
Yes, especially meditation yoga.
Yoga is great for relieving stress as part of an overall program, and for achieving a sense of calm in his mind. If there is limited attention, he may not be able to practice yoga straight away. Try and figure out why he can't concentrate, usual reasons are excessive work, poor sleep and study habits and school stressors. Yoga would be a useful adjunct as part of an overall assessment
Marat Nadirovich Shamsutdinov
Adolescent Psychiatrist
Yoga can certainly help with relaxation and taking stress away, but will not treat the cause of lack of concentration. He might have undiagnosed ADHD inattentive presenting if he has no hyperactivity. Also, anxiety (especially performance anxiety), depression, and other stress can cause the lack of concentration. He needs to be evaluated for the causes.
Also, If the problem is with ADHD, then the problem with concentration can be visible in the tasks that are boring or not interesting for the person, while if they are interested in some tasks, they can have good attention and concentration.
I hope this helps. All the best.
Also, If the problem is with ADHD, then the problem with concentration can be visible in the tasks that are boring or not interesting for the person, while if they are interested in some tasks, they can have good attention and concentration.
I hope this helps. All the best.
Your son may just be sleep-deprived, stressed, exhausted, anxious, depressed, etc. He may have sleep or dietary problems. Primary attention problems can occur in college due to increased demands for time management, organization, and improved concentration. He could consult someone in the student health service at his school. Yoga probably will not improve his concentration.
Yoga can have many benefits - for focus, for relaxation, for physical strength/health, for sleep, for personal meaning, for social connection, for self-care and self-confidence, and more. People must usually be willing to participate in yoga to experience these benefits, of course. Difficulty concentrating may also be a sign of mental ill health for various reasons; hence, consultation with a licensed mental health professional may shed light on the problem as well.
NB: This does not constitute medical advice, please see the disclaimer in my Expert Blog for details.
NB: This does not constitute medical advice, please see the disclaimer in my Expert Blog for details.
YES! YES! YES!
Allison V. Downer, M.D.
Allison V. Downer, M.D.
