People with two of the most common forms of arthritis - osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis – benefit from practicing yoga, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

For the study, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, the researchers tracked 75 sedentary adults aged 18 and older who had either knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the participants were randomly assigned to take part in twice-weekly 60-minute Hatha yoga sessions for two months, and a home-based practice session once a week. The others did not practice yoga.

The showed the yoga practitioners reported a 20 percent improvement in pain, energy levels, and mood. They also experienced a 20 percent improvement in physical function, and the ability to perform day-to-day tasks at home and at work, Medical News Today reports.

"Our first step was to ensure that yoga was a reasonable and safe option for people with arthritis. Our instructors were experienced yoga therapists with additional training to modify poses to accommodate individual abilities," said study co-author Dr. Clifton O. Bingham III, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and director of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.

About 52.5 million Americans are living with some form of arthritis. Yoga is a mind and body practice that incorporates a combination of controlled breathing, stretching exercises and meditation or relaxation.

While there is no cure for arthritis, physical activity is considered one of the best ways to alleviate symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people with arthritis engage in at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week.