They randomly assigned participants, all of whom could stand unaided, to one of three groups - two yoga groups and one who received usual care. The oldest participant was 90.

Those in the yoga groups took part in classes that gradually got more difficult.

Tests found people in the yoga groups had better balance, less fear of falling, were more independent and happier with their lives than those who did not do yoga.

Arlene Schmid, assistant professor of occupational medicine, said: For chronic stroke patients, even if they remain disabled, natural recovery and acute rehabilitation therapy typically ends after six months, or maybe a year.

But we know for a fact that the brain still can change. The problem is the healthcare system is not necessarily willing to pay for that change.

The study demonstrated that with some assistance, even chronic stroke patients with significant paralysis on one side can manage to do modified yoga poses.

Yoga participants also told researchers they were more confident, saying they felt more able to take showers unaided, get out and about and visit friends.

Prof Schmid continued: It has to do with the confidence of being more mobile. Although they took time to unfold, these were very meaningful changes in life for people."

Writing in the journal Stroke, she and colleagues suggested that yoga might be better than traditional exercises because the combination of poses, breathing and meditation made the brain work harder.

However, they cautioned it was only a small study and so they could only draw limited conclusions from it.

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Yoga 'helps stroke patients recover balance'