Morning yoga as an embodied regulatory practice: longitudinal changes in children's self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a school-based yoga program.

In the past, when life expectancy was shorter, people’s health was largely determined by genetics, and it was considered natural to either be healthy or not. However, the current global trend of aging means that most people will live longer as elderly individuals, increasing vulnerability to chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 7 out of the 10 leading causes of death in Korea are chronic diseases, and elderly individuals aged 65 and older on average suffer from two or more chronic diseases [,]. Chronic diseases typically appear in midlife after long-term exposure to smoking, alcohol, stress, physical inactivity, high-fat diets, and unhealthy lifestyles. Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that begins with brain damage long before cognitive symptoms appear, accumulating over time []. It is known that hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular diseases increase vulnerability to this condition. []. Early adulthood is the period of human life between the ages of 20 and 40 that marks the peak of physical and psychosocial development and is associated with many events that lead to the experience of health risk behaviors, including binge drinking, poor sleeping habits, smoking, and substance use []. The potential consequences of health risk behaviors in early adulthood can lead to stratification of chronic disease in later life. An analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health in the United States found that a healthy lifestyle in young adulthood is significantly associated with cardiovascular risk. Even though harmful behaviors may show resilience in the early years, they have lasting physical and mental impacts over time []. Health behaviors are not isolated phenomena but consist of routines and habits that comprise a lifestyle. Physical activity and regular exercise have been shown to positively impact risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer [-]. Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental paradigm designed for rodents, characterized by increased sensory, cognitive, and physical stimulation. Animals in EE environments are exposed to conditions that promote physical, social, and cognitive development []. The application of EE has been shown to enhance neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and overall hippocampal function [,]. Previous studies have highlighted the benefits of EE on hippocampal volume, synaptic density, and expression of neurotrophic factors in rodents, reporting potential protective effects against age-related cognitive decline, or the strength of EE applied early in life (2-21 days of age) [-]. However, further research is needed on the effects of EE initiated in early adulthood in order to translate and apply findings from animal studies to humans. Another potential modulator of brain health, calorie restriction (CR), has been widely studied for its role in extending lifespan and delaying the onset of age-related diseases. CR has also been found to be associated with neuroprotective effects, including improved insulin sensitivity, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced autophagy [,]. Animal studies have shown that CR can affect neuroplasticity and cognitive performance in the hippocampus [], but the specific consequences of CR in early adulthood are not yet fully understood, as most studies have been conducted in the context of aging.