1 120 44 A PILOT STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF CHAIR YOGA AND CHAIR-BASED EXERCISE ON BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER CHAIR YOGA AND CHAIR-BASED EXERCISE ARE EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS. BOTH INTERVENTIONS IMPROVED PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND MOBILITY OVER TIME, ALTHOUGH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 2 INTERVENTIONS WERE IDENTIFIED. 2019 2 2090 18 THE EFFECT OF SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THE STUDY MEASURED EFFECTS OF SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA ON PAIN AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING. A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN INCLUDED A YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP AND AN ATTENTION CONTROL GROUP. THERE WAS GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN DEPRESSION AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. 2014 3 1576 22 MANAGING OSTEOARTHRITIS: COMPARISONS OF CHAIR YOGA, REIKI, AND EDUCATION (PILOT STUDY). THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER CHAIR YOGA AND REIKI AFFECT PAIN, DEPRESSIVE MOOD, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION COMPARED WITH AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. FINDINGS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS ONLY BETWEEN PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND CHAIR YOGA. IN FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED FEELINGS OF IMPROVED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE MAJOR LIMITATION OF THIS STUDY WAS THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE. 2011 4 444 22 CHAIR YOGA: BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WHETHER CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL AND IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN A SAMPLE OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. ONE-WAY REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHAIR YOGA AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT (4 WEEKS), AND END OF THE INTERVENTION (8 WEEKS). ALTHOUGH CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCING STIFFNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS, IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL OR IMPROVING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. FUTURE RESEARCH PLANNED BY THIS TEAM WILL USE RIGOROUS STUDY METHODS, INCLUDING LARGER SAMPLES, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND FOLLOW UP FOR MONITORING HOME PRACTICE AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. 2012 5 445 17 CHAIR YOGA: FEASIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDY WITH OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS STUDY MEASURED THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPLETING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL ON AN 8-WEEK SEATED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. PART OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PARTICIPANTS WOULD CONTINUE THE YOGA PRACTICE AT HOME USING A GUIDE BOOK AFTER THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM. FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE PARTICIPANTS WERE NOT IN A GROUP SETTING FOR THE YOGA, THEY DID NOT CONTINUE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THIS OUTCOME DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR GROUP PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO PROMOTE ADHERENCE TO MOVEMENT-BASED PROGRAMS. (TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410). 2017 6 936 22 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA VERSUS EXERCISE FOR REDUCING FALLING RISK IN OLDER ADULTS: PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INDICES. OUR PURPOSE IN THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO ADDRESS MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS OF FALLING IN ACTIVE AND LOW ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS (N = 35) OVER THE AGE OF 65 ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN EITHER A YOGA PROGRAM, AN EXERCISE PROGRAM, OR A NO-PROGRAM CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING RISKS. PHYSICAL MEASURES INCLUDED LOWER BODY STRENGTH, STATIC BALANCE, AND LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY. PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES INCLUDED PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY WITH RESPECT TO FALLS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WE DETERMINED BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES USING PLANNED COMPARISONS, EFFECT SIZE, CONFIDENCE INTERVALS, AND PROBABILITY OF SUPERIORITY. RESULTS OF PLANNED COMPARISONS AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE TESTING INDICATED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SCORED HIGHER THAN THE EXERCISE AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS ON BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY TESTS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ALSO SCORED HIGHER THAN THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS ON RIGHT LEG STATIC BALANCE, AND THE RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY TESTS. THE EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS SCORED HIGHER THAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS ON THE RAND-36 QUALITY OF LIFE SUBSCALES OF ENERGY/FATIGUE, PAIN, AND GENERAL HEALTH. THE PROBABILITY OF SUPERIORITY RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE NO-PROGRAM OLDER ADULT PARTICIPANTS WOULD BENEFIT BY ENROLLING IN THE YOGA RATHER THAN THE EXERCISE PROGRAM TO REDUCE PHYSICAL RISKS OF FALLING. THESE FINDINGS WERE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS TO REDUCE RISKS OF FALLING, AND THE ROLES OF THE PROTOCOL, PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND MEASURES EMPLOYED WHEN DETERMINING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS. 2022 7 2077 17 THE EFFECT OF CHAIR YOGA IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MODERATE AND SEVERE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. USING A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL SINGLE-GROUP DESIGN, THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OLDER ADULTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD)-TYPE DEMENTIA TO COMPLETE THE SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM. PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM WAS MEASURED. THE NINE OLDER ADULTS WITH AD (MEAN AGE = 83) PARTICIPATED IN THE 8-WEEK SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM. TO MEASURE PHYSICAL FUNCTION, THE SIX-MINUTE WALK TEST, THE GAIT SPEED TEST, AND THE BERG BALANCE SCALE WERE ADMINISTERED AT PRE-INTERVENTION, 4 WEEKS, 8 WEEKS, AND 1 MONTH AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. POSITIVE CHANGES WERE SEEN ACROSS ALL PHYSICAL MEASURES. FURTHER STUDY, USING A LARGER SAMPLE AND INCLUDING A CONTROL GROUP, IS NEEDED TO FULLY DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM ON OLDER ADULTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE AD. 2014 8 2083 18 THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE: A CASE SERIES. THIS CASE SERIES DESCRIBES THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS FORMS OF EXERCISE ON SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE. A GROUP OF 15 WOMEN AND MEN PERFORMED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: TRADITIONAL STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES, IYENGAR YOGA, OR NO STRUCTURED GROUP EXERCISE. LOW BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY AND QUADRICEPS STRENGTH AND FUNCTION WERE MONITORED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. THE WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC) WAS USED TO ASSESS SUBJECTIVE CHANGE AFTER THE SIX-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO COMPLETED BY EACH PARTICIPANT AND EACH INSTRUCTOR AT THE EXIT SESSIONS TO MEASURE PERCEIVED CHANGES IN IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE INTERVENTION. THIS STUDY FOUND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE IN TRADITIONAL EXERCISE AND A YOGA BASED APPROACH THAT SHOULD ENCOURAGE FURTHER COMPREHENSIVE AND CAREFULLY DESIGNED STUDIES OF YOGA IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. 2006 9 118 24 A PILOT STUDY OF IYENGAR YOGA FOR PEDIATRIC OBESITY: EFFECTS ON GAIT AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. OBESITY NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE KINEMATICS AND KINETICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. ALTHOUGH YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE SEVERAL DISTINCT BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN WITH OBESITY, THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR GAIT (PRIMARY OUTCOME) IN YOUTHS WITH OBESITY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL), PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PAIN. FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY WERE ALSO ASSESSED. NINE YOUTHS (11(-)17 YEARS) PARTICIPATED IN AN EIGHT-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION (BI-WEEKLY 1-H CLASSES). GAIT, HRQOL (SELF AND PARENT-PROXY REPORTS), AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-YOGA. PAIN WAS SELF-REPORTED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN MULTIPLE GAIT PARAMETERS, INCLUDING HIP, KNEE, AND ANKLE MOTION AND MOMENTS. SELF-REPORTED AND PARENT-PROXY REPORTS OF EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WEIGHT DID NOT CHANGE. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT A RELATIVELY BRIEF, NON-INVASIVE IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION CAN RESULT IN IMPROVED MALALIGNMENT OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES DURING AMBULATION, AS WELL AS IN CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. THIS STUDY EXTENDS CURRENT EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS A ROLE FOR YOGA IN PEDIATRIC OBESITY. 2018 10 2217 18 THE IMPACT OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PHYSICALLY INACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. BACKGROUND: WITH THE CURRENT CHALLENGE OF RAPIDLY AGING POPULATIONS, PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA MAY HELP OLDER ADULTS STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, HEALTHY, AND FULFILLED. METHODS: THE IMPACT OF AN 8-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON THE HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PHYSICALLY INACTIVE PEOPLE AGED 55 YEARS AND OVER WAS ASSESSED. THIRTY-EIGHT OLDER ADULTS (MEAN AGE 73.21+/-8.38 YEARS; 19 INTERVENTION, 19 CONTROL) ENGAGED IN EITHER TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES OR CONTINUED THEIR USUAL DAILY ROUTINES. PHYSICAL HEALTH MEASURES WERE MUSCLE STRENGTH, ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION, RESPIRATORY FUNCTION (FEV1), RESTING BLOOD PRESSURE, AND IMMUNE FUNCTION (SALIVARY IGA AND LYSOZYME). SELF-PERCEIVED GENERAL, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SPIRITUAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WERE ASSESSED WITH THE LIFE'S ODYSSEY QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE SF12V2 HEALTH SURVEY. RESULTS: MUSCLE STRENGTH, ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, AND ASPECTS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING (EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND SELF-CARE) IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP (P<.05). MEDIAN CHANGES IN MOST OF THESE VARIABLES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION IN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAMS BY OLDER PEOPLE IS BENEFICIAL FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND GREATER AVAILABILITY OF SUCH PROGRAMS COULD IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. 2011 11 1242 19 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 12 1958 21 SELF-MANAGEMENT AND YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGES IN PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG OLDER PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE (STROKE >/= 6 MONTHS PREVIOUS) AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA INFUSED SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION. METHODS: A MIXED-METHODS SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS EXAMINED QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, AND GAIT SPEED AND QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: BASED ON WILCOXON ANALYSIS, PHYSICAL FITNESS OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDING ENDURANCE AND LOWER AND UPPER BODY STRENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .02) IMPROVED. BASED ON QUALITATIVE RESULTS OF 2 FOCUS GROUPS AND 14 INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED POSITIVE CHANGES IN ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, GAIT SPEED, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. THEY ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN WALKING ABILITY AND DURATION, AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO CONTINUE YOGA AND INCREASE LEVELS OF EXERCISE. CONCLUSIONS: WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING PHYSICAL FITNESS AND EXERCISE FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC SAFE AND FEASIBLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPONENTS, SUCH AS YOGA. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS MAY IMPROVE OFFERED CHRONIC STROKE SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS BY INCORPORATING YOGA. 2018 13 2825 20 YOGA VERSUS HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM IN CHILDREN WITH ENTHESITIS RELATED ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE AIM WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM ON LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, PAIN, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH ENTHESITIS RELATED ARTHRITIS (ERA). METHODS: TWENTY-ONE CHILDREN WITH ERA WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AS YOGA (N = 11) AND HOME EXERCISE (N = 10). YOGA GROUP PERFORMED SUPERVISED YOGA EXERCISES TWICE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS. HOME EXERCISE GROUP PERFORMED VIDEO-BASED EXERCISES FOR THE SAME PERIOD. PAIN IN REST AND ACTIVITY, LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND FOLLOWING EIGHT WEEKS. RESULTS: THE GROUPS WERE SIMILAR AT BASELINE (P > 0.05). ALL THE PARAMETERS, EXCEPT PARENT REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN YOGA GROUP (P < 0.05), WHERE ONLY STAIR CLIMB TEST TIMES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN HOME EXERCISE GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA SEEMS PROMISING FOR IMPROVING LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, PAIN, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION IN REHABILITATION PROGRAMS OF CHILDREN WITH ERA. 2021 14 2243 24 THE INFLUENCE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA ON BALANCE AND FALLS IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ABSTRACT FALLS AMONGST OLDER PEOPLE IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. WHILST FALLING IS NOT A TYPICAL FEATURE OF AGEING, OLDER PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO FALL. FALL INJURIES AMONGST OLDER PEOPLE ARE A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISABILITY. MANY OLDER PEOPLE DO NOT DO REGULAR EXERCISE SO THAT THEY LOSE MUSCLE TONE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY WHICH AFFECT BALANCE AND PREDISPOSE THEM TO FALLS. THE MANAGEMENT OF FALLS IN RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTINGS IS A MAJOR CONCERN WITH STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION AND MONITORING A FOCUS IN THIS SETTING. YOGA AND TAI CHI HAVE SHOWN POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND PREVENT FALLS IN OLDER ADULTS. THEY ALSO HAVE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A 3-ARM RCT WITH FRAIL OLDER PEOPLE IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT A 14 WEEK MODIFIED TAI CHI OR YOGA PROGRAM IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN USUAL CARE ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING BALANCE FUNCTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, PAIN EXPERIENCE AND IN REDUCING NUMBER OF FALLS. THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE GROUPS IN THE OCCURRENCE OF FALLS. YOGA DEMONSTRATED A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FALL INCIDENCE; QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED FOR THE TAI CHI GROUP. ONLY THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN AVERAGE PAIN SCORES THOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY SUGGEST IT IS POSSIBLE TO SAFELY IMPLEMENT MODIFIED YOGA AND TAI CHI IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING AND EVALUATE THIS USING RCT DESIGN. THEY SHOW POSITIVE CHANGES TO BALANCE, PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST THROUGH ATTENDANCE AMONGST THE OLDER PARTICIPANTS. THE RESULTS SUPPORT OFFERING TAI CHI AND YOGA TO OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE FRAIL AND DEPENDENT WITH PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE LIMITATIONS. 2014 15 1839 18 PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA OR WALKING AMONG OLDER ADULTS. FEW RESEARCHERS HAVE COMPARED PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA WITH MORE TRADITIONAL FORMS OF EXERCISE. THE AUTHORS' PRIMARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE CHANGES IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES OF MOOD AND STATE ANXIETY PRODUCED BY AN ACUTE BOUT OF YOGA OR WALKING AMONG OLDER ADULTS. THE SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE SELECTED PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF ACTIVITY. PARTICIPANTS WERE 51 ADULTS WHO WERE 50 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO WALKED FOR EXERCISE OR PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA CLASS. RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO EXERCISE, AND LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE THAN DID WALKERS. WITH CONTROL FOR THESE DIFFERENCES, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD IMPROVED LEVELS OF FATIGUE PRE- TO POSTSESSION, COMPARED WITH WALKERS. WITH CONTROL FOR DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, THESE CHANGES WERE NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SEEK OUT MINDFUL-BASED EXERCISE TO COPE WITH GREATER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND LOWER LEVELS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. 2009 16 947 22 EFFECTS OF A 4-MONTH ANANDA YOGA PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. OBJECTIVES: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR ADDRESSING PROBLEMS WITH STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BALANCE, GAIT, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CONCENTRATION. VARYING DEGREES OF THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS). THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE, 4-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM ON STRENGTH, MOBILITY, BALANCE, RESPIRATORY FUNCTION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. METHODS: TWENTY FOUR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS PARTICIPATED IN AN INTENSIVE ANANDA YOGA TRAINING FOLLOWED BY 17 WEEKS OF HOME PRACTICE. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW AND A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES WERE DETECTED FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PERSONS WITH MILD TO MODERATE MS. 2013 17 2222 23 THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR A 6-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (M = 4; F = 17), BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 65, WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER AN IMMEDIATE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION, OR TO A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO TREATMENT DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD BUT RECEIVED LATER YOGA TRAINING. METHODS: A SPECIFIC CLBP YOGA PROTOCOL DESIGNED AND MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERED FOR ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE FORWARD REACH (FR) AND SIT AND REACH (SR) TESTS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX (ODI) AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) QUESTIONNAIRES. GUIDING QUESTIONS WERE USED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS TO ASCERTAIN HOW YOGA PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE INSTRUCTOR, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR LIFE. ANALYSIS: TO ACCOUNT FOR DROP OUTS, THE DATA WERE DIVIDED INTO BETTER OR NOT CATEGORIES, AND ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE RESPONSES. RESULTS: POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT SCORES SHOWED IMPROVED BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY AND DECREASED DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT THIS PILOT WAS NOT POWERED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS INCLUDED A HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND LARGE BASELINE DIFFERENCES IN THE SECONDARY MEASURES. IN ADDITION, ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES (1) GROUP INTERVENTION MOTIVATED THE PARTICIPANTS AND (2) YOGA FOSTERED RELAXATION AND NEW AWARENESS/LEARNING. CONCLUSION: A MODIFIED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WITH CLB, BUT A LARGER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. ALSO, THE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND DISABILITY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR FURTHER STUDY. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. THIS PILOT STUDY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA FOR THIS POPULATION. 2004 18 1106 21 EFFECTS OF YOGA, AEROBIC, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES ON COGNITION IN ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: PROTOCOL OF THE STAY FIT PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CANCER SURVIVORS EXPERIENCE COMPROMISED QUALITY OF LIFE DUE TO IMPAIRED COGNITIVE FUNCTION AS A RESULT OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH EXERCISE HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, INTERVENTIONS COMPREHENSIVELY TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS ARE LIMITED. THE STAY FIT TRIAL IS A THREE-ARMED PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGNED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK YOGA, AEROBIC WALKING, AND STRETCH AND TONE INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY AIMS TO RECRUIT 75 ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WILL COMPLETE ASSESSMENTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. THE AIMS OF STAY FIT ARE (1) TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, COMPARED TO AEROBIC EXERCISE AND AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP; (2) TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTIONS; AND (3) TO ASSESS CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OUR POPULATION AS A RESULT OF THE EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS. DISCUSSION: THE STAY FIT TRIAL WILL TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND FITNESS AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY WILL ENABLE US TO UNDERSTAND THE MOST EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MODALITY TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THIS POPULATION AND POTENTIALLY COMBAT CANCER-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT03650322 . REGISTERED ON 28 AUGUST 2018. 2020 19 1707 22 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 20 1580 27 MEASURING THE EFFECT OF AN EIGHT-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM ON THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. A PILOT STUDY. PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) IS A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE THAT AFFECTS MUSCLE TONE, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, MOTOR CONTROL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK, COGNITION, AND FUNCTION. EXERCISE HAS BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL ABILITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK, BUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON INDIVIDUALS WITH PD HAS NOT BEEN WELL RESEARCHED. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO IDENTIFY OUTCOME MEASURES THAT WERE RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD AFTER AN 8-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM AND TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE SAMPLE SIZES FOR FUTURE STUDIES. IN A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, 10 PARTICIPANTS WITH A HOEHN AND YAHR STAGE OF 2 OR 3 WERE TESTED PRIOR TO AND AFTER AN 8-WEEK CONTROL PHASE AND AGAIN AFTER THEY UNDERWENT AN 8-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) TESTS REVEALED DIFFERENCES IN TIME OF MEASURE THAT APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE DEPRESSION SUBSCALE OF THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS) (P = 0.008) AND THE 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND (TSCS) (P = 0.013). THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TIME OF MEASURE AND GENDER APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE SIT-AND-REACH TEST (SRT) (P = 0.08 AND 0.03, RIGHT AND LEFT RESPECTIVELY), WITH MALE PARTICIPANTS IMPROVING IN SIT-AND-REACH FLEXIBILITY COMPARED WITH FEMALE PARTICIPANTS AFTER INTERVENTION. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TIME OF MEASURE AND AGE APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE SINGLE-LEG BALANCE TEST (SLB) (P = 0.007), WITH YOUNGER PARTICIPANTS IMPROVING IN SLB TIME AFTER INTERVENTION. POWER CALCULATIONS FOUND THAT A SAMPLE SIZE RANGING FROM 33 TO 153 WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANCE AT THE 0.01 LEVEL IN THE VARIOUS OUTCOME MEASURES IN A FUTURE STUDY OF THIS DESIGN. THE DEPRESSION SUBSCALE OF THE HADS, THE TSCS, THE SLB, AND THE RIGHT AND LEFT SRT WERE THE MEASURES THAT CHANGED FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION AND ARE RECOMMENDED AS OUTCOME MEASURES IN FUTURE STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUPPORTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF ADAPTIVE YOGA USING A RANDOMIZED DESIGN AND A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. 2014