One of the many acts of doing yoga is to strench your legs.(file photo)

    BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have found in a small and preliminary study that doing yoga is good for women who are going through treatment for breast cancer, according to an AP report.

    This is one of the few studies to try to rigorously measure the benefits of this form of exercise, said Lorenzo Cohen, a psychologist who led the pilot study, Sunday. 

    "Our belief is something as simple and brief as a short (yoga) program would be very useful" at combating side effects from cancer treatment, Cohen said.

    Yoga incorporates meditation, relaxation, imagery, controlled breathing, stretching and physical movements. 

    The study involves 61 women who had surgery for breast cancer and were getting six weeks of radiation treatment. Thirty women were assigned to a test group that took twice-a-week yoga classes. The others did not.

    At the end of six weeks, study participants were asked to grade their ability in detailed questionnaires to lift groceries, walk a mile and perform other physical activities. They also were asked about feelings of fatigue, their sense of well-being and other aspects of their quality of life.

    Participants said they were in better general health, were less fatigued and had fewer problems with daytime sleepiness. 

    Their scores were converted to a scale that ranged from 0 to 100. The researchers found the yoga group had a mean score of about 82, compared with 69 for the other group.