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Yoga may help improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study.

Researchers examined 29 stable patients with COPD who received yoga training that included the use of physical postures, breathing techniques, cleansing techniques, meditation, and a relaxation technique for an hour, twice a week, for four weeks.

"COPD is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes difficulty breathing," Randeep Guleria, MD, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, said in a news release. "We investigated to see whether simple, structured yoga training affects the level of inflammation, shortness of breath, and quality of life in patients with stable COPD."

After the four-week period, patients were trained for one hour every two weeks with the remaining sessions completed at home. Researchers evaluated participants' lung function, breathing, quality of life and inflammation status. Researchers said a repeat assessment was done at the end of the 12-week training sessions.

They found that all parameters looked at in the study showed significant improvement at the end of the 12-week period.

"We found that yoga can be a simple, cost-effective method that can help improve quality of life in patients with COPD," Guleria concluded.