1 229 150 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE ENERGY COST AND METABOLIC INTENSITY OF YOGA. PURPOSE: WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF HATHA YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ENERGY COST AND METS OF YOGA PRACTICE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE (ACSM) AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (AHA) PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES. METHODS: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW EVALUATED THE ENERGY COST AND METABOLIC INTENSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDING YOGA ASANAS (POSES/POSTURES) AND PRANAYAMAS (BREATH EXERCISES) MEASURED BY INDIRECT CALORIMETRY. THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING LITERATURE WAS SURVEYED VIA PUBMED USING THE GENERAL TERMS "YOGA" AND "ENERGY EXPENDITURE" WITH NO DATE LIMITATIONS. RESULTS: THIRTEEN MANUSCRIPTS WERE INITIALLY IDENTIFIED WITH AN ADDITIONAL FOUR LOCATED FROM REVIEW OF MANUSCRIPT REFERENCES. OF THE 17 STUDIES, 10 EVALUATED THE ENERGY COST AND METS OF FULL YOGA SESSIONS OR FLOW THROUGH SURYA NAMASKAR (SUN SALUTATIONS), EIGHT OF INDIVIDUAL ASANAS, AND FIVE OF PRANAYAMAS. METS FOR YOGA PRACTICE AVERAGED 3.3 +/- 1.6 (RANGE = 1.83-7.4 METS) AND 2.9 +/- 0.8 METS WHEN ONE OUTLIER (I.E., 7.4 METS FOR SURYA NAMASKAR) WAS OMITTED. METS FOR INDIVIDUAL ASANAS AVERAGED 2.2 +/- 0.7 (RANGE = 1.4-4.0 METS), WHEREAS THAT OF PRANAYAMAS WAS 1.3 +/- 0.3. ON THE BASIS OF ACSM/AHA CLASSIFICATION, THE INTENSITY OF MOST ASANAS AND FULL YOGA SESSIONS RANGED FROM LIGHT (LESS THAN 3 METS) TO MODERATE AEROBIC INTENSITY (3-6 METS), WITH THE MAJORITY CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT INTENSITY. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IS TYPICALLY CLASSIFIED AS A LIGHT-INTENSITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. HOWEVER, A FEW SEQUENCES/POSES, INCLUDING SURYA NAMASKAR, MEET THE CRITERIA FOR MODERATE- TO VIGOROUS-INTENSITY ACTIVITY. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACSM/AHA GUIDELINES, THE PRACTICE OF ASANA SEQUENCES WITH MET INTENSITIES HIGHER THAN THREE (I.E., >10 MIN) CAN BE ACCUMULATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND COUNT TOWARD DAILY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODERATE- OR VIGOROUS-INTENSITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2016 2 1871 37 RANGE OF YOGA INTENSITIES FROM SAVASANA TO SWEATING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: THERE IS LIMITED RESEARCH EXAMINING THE INTENSITY OF YOGA AND INTENSITY VARIATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT STYLES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO EXAMINE THE INTENSITY OF YOGA BASED ON DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSES BOTH BETWEEN DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES AND WITHIN STYLES OF YOGA. METHODS: ARTICLES WERE SEARCHED FOR ON THE PUBMED DATABASE IN EARLY 2019. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE AS FOLLOWS: (1) WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, (2) CITE A SPECIFIC STYLE OF YOGA AND INCLUDE WHOLE YOGA SESSION, AND (3) MEASURE METABOLIC OR HEART RATE RESPONSE. RESULTS: TEN ARTICLES WERE REVIEWED; ARTICLES REPORTED OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (N = 1), HEART RATE (N = 4), OR BOTH VARIABLES (N = 5). YOGA STYLES ASSESSED INCLUDED ASHTANGA (N = 2), BIKRAM (N = 3), GENTLE (N = 1), HATHA (N = 3), IYENGAR (N = 1), POWER (N = 1), AND VINYASA (N = 1). OXYGEN CONSUMPTION COMMONLY CATEGORIZED YOGA AS A LIGHT-INTENSITY ACTIVITY, WHILE HEART RATE RESPONSES CLASSIFIED DIFFERENT YOGA INTO MULTIPLE INTENSITIES. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW DEMONSTRATES THAT LARGE DIFFERENCES IN INTENSITY CLASSIFICATIONS ARE OBSERVED BETWEEN DIFFERENT STYLES OF YOGA. FURTHERMORE, METABOLIC AND HEART RATE RESPONSES CAN BE VARIABLE, LEADING TO INCONSISTENT INTENSITY CLASSIFICATIONS. THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THEIR NONLINEAR RELATIONSHIP DURING YOGA. THUS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE FIELD OF YOGA RESEARCH WORKS TOGETHER TO CREATE A STANDARD FOR REPORTING YOGA. 2020 3 616 33 DEVELOPMENT OF SHAM YOGA POSES TO ASSESS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN FUTURE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL STUDIES. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES OR AT RISK OF DIABETES, STUDIES HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THESE EFFECTS CAN BE ASCRIBED TO THE SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE TRADITIONAL POSTURES, CALLED ASANAS. INSTEAD, THE EFFECTS OF ASANAS COULD BE ASCRIBED TO THE INCREASE IN CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY AND EXPENDITURE OF ENERGY OR TO THE EXPECTATION OF HEALTH BENEFITS. THEREFORE, TO ESTABLISH WHETHER ASANAS ARE BENEFICIAL, RESEARCHERS NEED TO DESIGN A CONTROL CONDITION IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS COMPLETE ACTIVITIES, CALLED SHAM POSES, THAT ARE EQUIVALENT TO TRADITIONAL ASANAS IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXPECTATION OF BENEFITS. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO DESIGN AN APPROPRIATE SUITE OF SHAM POSES AND TO DEMONSTRATE THESE POSES AND TRADITIONAL ASANAS ARE EQUIVALENT IN ENERGY EXPENDITURE, CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE, AND EXPECTATIONS OF HEALTH BENEFITS. METHODS: TWENTY HEALTHY MEN AT MEDIUM TO HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING DIABETES VOLUNTEERED TO PARTAKE IN THE CURRENT STUDY. THESE MEN COMPLETED TWO SESSIONS THAT COMPRISED TRADITIONAL ASANAS AND TWO SESSIONS THAT COMPRISED SHAM POSES-POSES THAT UTILIZE THE SAME MUSCLE GROUPS AS THE ASANAS AND WERE ASSIGNED FICTITIOUS SANSKRIT LABELS. BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, TRIGLYCERIDES LEVELS, AND OXYGEN SATURATION WERE MEASURED TO GAUGE THE INTENSITY OF EXERCISE. AFTER EACH SESSION, USING A STANDARD MEASURE, PARTICIPANTS ALSO INDICATED THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY EXPECTED THE POSES TO IMPROVE HEALTH. RESULTS: THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SESSIONS AFFECTED THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES (FOR EXAMPLE, PRE-EXERCISE, THE HEART RATE FOR YOGA AND SHAM WAS 71.06 +/- 4.79 AND 73.88 +/- 6.05, RESPECTIVELY, AND POST-EXERCISE, THE HEART RATE WAS 70.19 +/- 6.16 AND 73 +/- 7.55, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL ASANAS AND THE SHAM POSES. LIKEWISE, THE DEGREE TO WHICH EACH SESSION INFLUENCED THESE PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES WAS NEGLIGIBLE IN BOTH CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DEVELOPED A SERIES OF POSES THAT ELICIT SIMILAR PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT AS TRADITIONAL YOGA ASANAS. THESE POSES CAN BE USED IN AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP IN FUTURE RANDOMIZED TRIAL STUDIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE BENEFITS OF ASANAS. 2021 4 472 31 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 5 2409 30 YOGA AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) HAS BEEN USED AS A PROXY FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS AND INDICATOR OF AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND THEREFORE, APPEARS WELL PLACED TO ASSESS THE CHANGES OCCURRING WITH MIND.-BODY PRACTICES THAT FACILITATE AUTONOMIC BALANCE. WHILE MANY STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA INFLUENCES HRV, SUCH STUDIES HAVE NOT BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED. WE AIMED TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW ALL PUBLISHED PAPERS THAT REPORT ON YOGA PRACTICES AND HRV. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF MULTIPLE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED AND ALL STUDIES THAT REPORTED A MEASURE OF HRV ASSOCIATED WITH ANY YOGA PRACTICE WERE INCLUDED. STUDIES WERE CATEGORIZED BY THE STUDY DESIGN AND TYPE OF YOGA PRACTICE. A TOTAL OF 59 STUDIES WERE REVIEWED INVOLVING A TOTAL OF 2358 PARTICIPANTS. MOST STUDIES WERE PERFORMED IN INDIA ON RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS OF HEALTHY MALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING A SINGLE LABORATORY SESSION. OF THE REVIEWED STUDIES, 15 WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH 6 HAVING A JADAD SCORE OF 3. THE REVIEWED STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN AFFECT CARDIAC AUTONOMIC REGULATION WITH INCREASED HRV AND VAGAL DOMINANCE DURING YOGA PRACTICES. REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE ALSO FOUND TO HAVE INCREASED VAGAL TONE AT REST COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. IT IS PREMATURE TO DRAW ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ABOUT YOGA AND HRV AS MOST STUDIES WERE OF POOR QUALITY, WITH SMALL SAMPLE SIZES AND INSUFFICIENT REPORTING OF STUDY DESIGN AND STATISTICAL METHODS. RIGOROUS STUDIES WITH DETAILED REPORTING OF YOGA PRACTICES AND ANY CORRESPONDING CHANGES IN RESPIRATION ARE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON HRV. 2016 6 386 23 BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY FROM INDIA. OBJECTIVE: BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED IN SURVEYS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO (I) DETERMINE THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS IN INDIA AND (II) CORRELATE THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH FACTORS RELATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS CONVENIENCE SAMPLING IN-PERSON SURVEY REPORTS BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN 3135 YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED BY 94.5 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS WERE IMPROVEMENT IN: (I) PHYSICAL FITNESS, (II) MENTAL STATE AND (III) COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA WAS REPORTED BY 1.9 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED WERE: (I) SORENESS AND PAIN, (II) MUSCLE INJURIES AND (III) FATIGUE. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION (IN ALL CASES P < 0.05 CHI SQUARE TEST; CRAMER'S V > 0.10) WITH REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA: (I) EXPERIENCE OF YOGA IN MONTHS, (II) TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA IN A WEEK, (III) NUMBER OF YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED, AND (IV) WHETHER AWARENESS WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE OR NOT. CONCLUSION: BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH WERE THE MOST COMMON, WITH SORENESS AND PAIN THE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA. YOGA PRACTICE RELATED FACTORS INFLUENCE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2021 7 2736 29 YOGA POSES INCREASE SUBJECTIVE ENERGY AND STATE SELF-ESTEEM IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES'. RESEARCH ON BENEFICIAL CONSEQUENCES OF YOGA FOCUSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND SELF-ESTEEM. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE COMPARED TO THE EFFECTS OF 'POWER POSES,' WHICH ARGUABLY INCREASE THE SENSE OF POWER AND SELF-CONFIDENCE DUE TO THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE (CARNEY ET AL., 2010). THE STUDY TESTED THE NOVEL PREDICTION THAT YOGA POSES, WHICH ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE BUT INCREASE BODILY ENERGY, WOULD INCREASE THE SUBJECTIVE FEELING OF ENERGY AND THEREFORE INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM COMPARED TO 'HIGH POWER' AND 'LOW POWER' POSES. A TWO FACTORIAL, BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED EITHER TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH OPEN FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 19), TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH COVERED FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 22), TWO EXPANSIVE, HIGH POWER POSES (N = 21), OR TWO CONSTRICTIVE, LOW POWER POSES (N = 20) FOR 1-MIN EACH. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT YOGA POSES IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES' INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM. THIS EFFECT WAS MEDIATED BY AN INCREASED SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND WAS OBSERVED WHEN BASELINE TRAIT SELF-ESTEEM WAS CONTROLLED FOR. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF PERFORMING OPEN, EXPANSIVE BODY POSTURES MAY BE DRIVEN BY PROCESSES OTHER THAN THE POSES' ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL POWER AND DOMINANCE. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE CAN OCCUR AFTER PERFORMING YOGA POSES FOR ONLY 2 MIN. 2017 8 2661 33 YOGA IN AUSTRALIA: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE WELL DOCUMENTED, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA OR ELSEWHERE, WHETHER AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, A FORM OF THERAPY, A SPIRITUAL PATH OR A LIFESTYLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TO INVESTIGATE THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA, A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING A COMPREHENSIVE WEB-BASED QUESTIONNAIRE. RESPONDENTS WERE SELF-SELECTING TO PARTICIPATE. A TOTAL OF 3,892 RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. SIXTY OVERSEAS RESPONDENTS AND 1265 YOGA TEACHERS (TO BE REPORTED SEPARATELY) WERE EXCLUDED, LEAVING 2,567 YOGA PRACTITIONER RESPONDENTS. RESULTS: THE TYPICAL YOGA SURVEY RESPONDENT WAS A 41-YEAR-OLD, TERTIARY EDUCATED, EMPLOYED, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS FEMALE (85% WOMEN). ASANA (POSTURES) AND VINYASA (SEQUENCES OF POSTURES) REPRESENTED 61% OF THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING, WITH THE OTHER 39% DEVOTED TO THE GENTLER PRACTICES OF RELAXATION, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), MEDITATION AND INSTRUCTION. RESPONDENTS COMMONLY STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS BUT OFTEN CONTINUED PRACTICING FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. ONE IN FIVE RESPONDENTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR A SPECIFIC HEALTH OR MEDICAL REASON WHICH WAS SEEN TO BE IMPROVED BY YOGA PRACTICE. OF THESE, MORE PEOPLE USED YOGA FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND ANXIETY THAN BACK, NECK OR SHOULDER PROBLEMS, SUGGESTING THAT MENTAL HEALTH MAY BE THE PRIMARY HEALTH-RELATED MOTIVATION FOR PRACTICING YOGA. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES WERE SEEN TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN RESPONDENTS WITH MORE YEARS OF PRACTICE. YOGA-RELATED INJURIES OCCURRING UNDER SUPERVISION IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS WERE LOW AT 2.4% OF RESPONDENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS SEEN TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HEALTH ISSUES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO EXERT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EFFECT INCLUDING VEGETARIANISM, NON-SMOKING, REDUCED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, INCREASED EXERCISE AND REDUCED STRESS WITH RESULTING COST BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY. 2012 9 1834 27 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN WESTERN CULTURES AS A MEANS OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS TRAINING; HOWEVER, IT IS STILL DEPICTED AS TRENDY AS EVIDENCED BY AN APRIL 2001 TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY ON "THE POWER OF YOGA." THERE IS A NEED TO HAVE YOGA BETTER RECOGNIZED BY THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AS A COMPLEMENT TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL CARE. OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, A GROWING NUMBER OF RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL SUCH PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES AS BLOOD PRESSURE, RESPIRATION AND HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. THIS REVIEW PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY SUBSTANTIATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE AND FOR PEOPLE COMPROMISED BY MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY DISEASE. 2002 10 1088 30 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPTOMS, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS: A FOCUSED REVIEW. OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT AND DISABLING CHRONIC CONDITION. BECAUSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS A KEY COMPONENT IN OA MANAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR MULTIMODAL MIND-BODY EXERCISE THAT AIMS TO PROMOTE FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, AND BALANCE. ITS GENTLE APPROACH IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE EXERCISE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FOCUSED REVIEW IS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON OA SYMPTOMS AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING SEVEN ELECTRONIC DATABASES. TWELVE REPORTS MET INCLUSION CRITERIA INVOLVING A TOTAL OF 589 PARTICIPANTS WITH OA-RELATED SYMPTOMS. A VARIETY OF TYPES, FREQUENCIES, AND DURATIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE REPORTED; HATHA AND IYENGAR YOGA WERE THE MOST COMMONLY USED TYPES. FREQUENCY OF INTERVENTION RANGED FROM ONCE A WEEK TO 6 DAYS A WEEK. DURATION OF THE INTERVENTIONS RANGED FROM 45 TO 90 MINS PER SESSION FOR 6 TO 12 WKS. YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN REDUCTIONS IN PAIN, STIFFNESS, AND SWELLING, BUT RESULTS ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING WERE INCONCLUSIVE BECAUSE OF A VARIETY OF OUTCOME MEASURES BEING USED. 2016 11 2210 36 THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE: A REVIEW OF COMPARISON STUDIES. OBJECTIVES: EXERCISE IS CONSIDERED AN ACCEPTABLE METHOD FOR IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BELIEF THAT YOGA BENEFITS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH VIA DOWN-REGULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS AND THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PROVIDE A SCHOLARLY REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE REGARDING RESEARCH STUDIES COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE ON A VARIETY OF HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HEALTH CONDITIONS. METHODS: USING PUBMED((R)) AND THE KEY WORD "YOGA," A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE FROM CORE SCIENTIFIC AND NURSING JOURNALS YIELDED 81 STUDIES THAT MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. THESE STUDIES SUBSEQUENTLY WERE CLASSIFIED AS UNCONTROLLED (N = 30), WAIT LIST CONTROLLED (N = 16), OR COMPARISON (N = 35). THE MOST COMMON COMPARISON INTERVENTION (N = 10) INVOLVED EXERCISE. THESE STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. RESULTS: IN THE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEARED TO BE EQUAL OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN NEARLY EVERY OUTCOME MEASURED EXCEPT THOSE INVOLVING PHYSICAL FITNESS. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDIES COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE SEEM TO INDICATE THAT, IN BOTH HEALTHY AND DISEASED POPULATIONS, YOGA MAY BE AS EFFECTIVE AS OR BETTER THAN EXERCISE AT IMPROVING A VARIETY OF HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOME MEASURES. FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN EXERCISE AND YOGA, PARTICULARLY HOW THE TWO MODALITIES MAY DIFFER IN THEIR EFFECTS ON THE SNS/HPA AXIS. ADDITIONAL STUDIES USING RIGOROUS METHODOLOGIES ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA. 2010 12 2139 27 THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH: CRITICAL REVIEW AND CLINICAL TRIAL RECOMMENDATIONS. BIKRAM YOGA IS A STYLE OF HATHA YOGA INVOLVING A STANDARIZED SERIES OF ASANAS PERFORMED TO AN INSTRUCTIONAL DIALOGUE IN A HEATED ENVIRONMENT (40.6 DEGREES C, 40% HUMIDITY). SEVERAL STUDIES EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OVER THE PAST DECADE. HOWEVER, TO DATE, THERE ARE NO COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS OF THIS RESEARCH AND THERE REMAINS A LACK OF LARGE-SCALE, ROBUSTLY-DESIGNED RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT) OF BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO CONTEXTUALISE AND SUMMARISE TRIALS THAT HAVE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH AND TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED LITERATURE, BIKRAM YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE LOWER BODY STRENGTH, LOWER AND UPPER BODY RANGE OF MOTION, AND BALANCE IN HEALTHY ADULTS. NON-RCTS REPORT THAT BIKRAM YOGA MAY, IN SOME POPULATIONS, IMPROVE GLUCOSE TOLERANCE, BONE MINERAL DENSITY, BLOOD LIPID PROFILE, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, MINDFULNESS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS. THERE IS VAST POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER, IMPROVED RESEARCH INTO THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA, PARTICULARLY IN UNHEALTHY POPULATIONS, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND INTERVENTION-RELATED ADAPTATIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE PROGRESSION OF CHRONIC DISEASE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ADHERE TO CONSORT GUIDELINES FOR BETTER DESIGN AND REPORTING TO IMPROVE RESEARCH QUALITY IN THIS FIELD. 2015 13 1759 35 POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS: A PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. AN INTEGRAL PART OF PRIMARY PREVENTION IS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ONE FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO BE POTENTIALLY USED IS YOGA, BUT THIS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER ENERGY EXPENDITURE THAN THAT RECOMMENDED FOR PREVENTION. THE STUDY AIMED AT ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF REGULAR YOGA SESSIONS ON THE AEROBIC CAPACITY OF THE PRACTITIONERS AND COMPARING IT WITH THE NORMAL POPULATION PERFORMING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECOMMENDED BY GUIDELINES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIFTY-EIGHT PERSONS (16 MALES) WITH A MEAN AGE OF 50.0 +/- 11.06 YEARS COMPRISING THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED YOGA FOR AT LEAST 1 H A DAY FOR OVER 2 YEARS. THEY UNDERWENT SPIROERGOMETRY UNDER MAXIMAL EXERCISE TESTING TO ASSESS BASIC PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS. THEIR RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE IN 54 AGE-MATCHED CONTROLS (16 MALES MEAN AGE OF 48 +/- 11.86 YEARS PERFORMING A REGULAR AEROBIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR AT LEAST 7 H A WEEK. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE PER KILOGRAM (P = 0.007) AND MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION PER KILOGRAM PER MINUTE (P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: DESPITE LOW ENERGY EXPENDITURE, YOGA PRACTICES ARE BETTER IN SOME CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS PARAMETERS THAN OTHER AEROBIC ACTIVITIES RECOMMENDED BY CURRENT GUIDELINES FOR CVD PREVENTION. 2015 14 1196 30 EXAMINING THE ENERGY COST AND INTENSITY LEVEL OF PRENATAL YOGA. CONTEXT: A POPULAR FORM OF PREGNANCY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) IS PRENATAL YOGA. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE INTENSITY AND ENERGY COST OF THIS PRACTICE. AIMS: TO EXAMINE THE ENERGY COST AND INTENSITY LEVEL OF PRENATAL YOGA. METHODS: PREGNANT WOMEN IN A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS (N = 19) WORE A SENSE WEAR ARMBAND DURING ELEVEN 60 MIN CLASSES EACH, AND SELF-REPORTED DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, HEIGHT AND WEIGHT, PREPREGNANCY WEIGHT, AND PA BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS. SENSE WEAR ARMBAND DATA INCLUDED KILOCALORIES, METABOLIC EQUIVALENT (MET) VALUES, AND TIME SPENT IN VARIOUS INTENSITIES. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS AND FREQUENCIES WERE UTILIZED TO DESCRIBE ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND INTENSITY. RESULTS: ENERGY EXPENDITURE AVERAGED 109 +/- 8 KCALS, AND THE AVERAGE MET VALUE WAS 1.5 +/- 0.02. ON AVERAGE, 93% AND 7% OF CLASSES WERE SEDENTARY AND MODERATE INTENSITY PA, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSIONS: TIME SPENT IN A PRENATAL YOGA CLASS WAS CONSIDERED TO BE PRIMARILY A SEDENTARY ACTIVITY. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD UTILIZE LARGER SAMPLES, PRACTICE TYPE, AND SKILL LEVEL TO INCREASE GENERALIZABILITY. 2016 15 2844 36 YOGA, DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS: DOES THE TYPE OF EXERCISE MATTER? AN ONLINE STUDY INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXERCISE, BODY IMAGE, AND WELL-BEING IN REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SPECIFICALLY EXERCISING, HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO IMPROVE BODY IMAGE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING. WITH RESPECT TO BODY IMAGE, PREVIOUS FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT A GENERAL BENEFIT OF EXERCISE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXERCISING AND BODY IMAGE VARIES WITH THE TYPE OF EXERCISE THAT INDIVIDUALS PREFERENTIALLY AND REGULARLY ENGAGE IN. IN ADDITION, PHYSICAL EFFICACY WAS EXPLORED AS A POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE AND BODY IMAGE. USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN, HEALTHY REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA, BALLROOM DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS AS WELL AS HEALTHY ADULTS REPORTING NO REGULAR EXERCISING WERE SURVEYED. BODY IMAGE AND ITS DIFFERENT FACETS WERE ASSESSED BY A SET OF STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES, COVERING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS PARTICULARLY RELATED TO NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS WERE QUESTIONED WITH REGARD TO MENTAL HEALTH. PARTICIPANTS WERE 270 HEALTHY ADULTS. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, MEASURES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA), AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH ORTHOGONAL CONTRASTS WERE PERFORMED TO INVESTIGATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT EXERCISE AND NON-EXERCISE GROUPS IN THE VARIABLES OF INTEREST. IN LINE WITH THE HYPOTHESES AND PREVIOUS FINDINGS, THE STATISTIC COMPARISONS REVEALED THAT BODY DISSATISFACTION (AS ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR OF NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE) WAS MOST PRONOUNCED IN THE NON-EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED TO ALL EXERCISE GROUPS [CONTRAST: NO EXERCISE VERSUS EXERCISE (ALL GROUPS TAKEN TOGETHER)]. PHYSICAL EFFICACY, AS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRE, MEDIATED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE (USING CONTRASTS) AND BODY IMAGE INCLUDING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS. THE FINDINGS SHED LIGHT ON SO FAR LESS SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF EXERCISE, LIKE YOGA AND BALLROOM DANCE, AND BODY IMAGE. THE RESULTS UNDERSCORE THE RELEVANCE OF CONSIDERING POSSIBLE INFLUENCING FACTORS IN EXERCISE RESEARCH, SUCH AS THE PERCEPTION OF ONE'S PHYSICAL EFFICACY AS A MEDIATOR OF THIS RELATIONSHIP. 2021 16 341 37 ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONTEXT: YOGA IS QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER MODE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THAT IT CONSISTS OF A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ISOMETRIC MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS, STRETCHING EXERCISES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, AND BREATHING EXERCISES. IN PARTICULAR, YOGA POSTURES CONSIST OF SYSTEMIC ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS THAT ARE KNOWN TO ELICIT MARKED INCREASES IN MEAN BLOOD PRESSURE THAT ARE NOT OBSERVED DURING DYNAMIC EXERCISE. STRETCHING CAN ALSO INDUCE INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND SYMPATHETIC NERVE ACTIVITY IN THE MUSCLES. CURRENTLY, NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO DETERMINE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF ONE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES. TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE, BOTH NOVICE (N = 19) AND ADVANCED (N = 18) YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE STUDIED. DESIGN: THE TWO GROUPS WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, GENDER, BMI, AND BLOOD PRESSURE. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A RESEARCH LABORATORY AT A UNIVERSITY. PARTICIPANTS: THIRTY-SIX APPARENTLY HEALTHY, NONOBESE, SEDENTARY, OR RECREATIONALLY ACTIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. INTERVENTION THE INTERVENTION COMPRISED ONE SESSION OF YOGA PRACTICE, IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS FOLLOWED A CUSTOM MADE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO PROVIDING A YOGA ROUTINE THAT CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF 23 HATHA-BASED YOGA POSTURES. OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE LABORATORY, EACH PARTICIPANT COMPLETED A RESEARCH HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE, A TRAINING-STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE, AND A YOGA-EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE. PRIOR TO THE YOGA PRACTICE, EACH PARTICIPANT'S HEIGHT, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, TRUNK OR LUMBAR FLEXIBILITY, AND ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AS ASSESSED BY CAROTID FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (CFPWV) WERE MEASURED. FOR EACH POSTURE DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE, THE STUDY CONTINUOUSLY MEASURED SYSTOLIC, MEAN, AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES, HEART RATE, STROKE VOLUME, AND CARDIAC OUTPUT. RESULTS: SYSTOLIC, MEAN, AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE. THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE WAS GREATEST WITH STANDING POSTURES. HEART RATE AND CARDIAC OUTPUT INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING YOGA PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY WITH STANDING POSTURES. OVERALL, NO DIFFERENCES EXISTED IN CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES BETWEEN THE NOVICE AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS THROUGHOUT THE YOGA TESTING SESSION; CFPWV VELOCITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY AND INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH LUMBAR FLEXION BUT NOT WITH SIT-AND-REACH TEST SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESEARCH TEAM CONCLUDED THAT A VARIETY OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES, ESPECIALLY STANDING POSTURES, EVOKED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE ELEVATION IN BLOOD PRESSURE DUE TO YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASES IN CARDIAC OUTPUT AND HEART RATE, WHICH ARE RESPONSES SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN ISOMETRIC EXERCISE. THE LACK OF OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES BETWEEN NOVICE AND ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS SUGGESTS THAT LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE DOES NOT ATTENUATE ACUTE YOGA RESPONSES. 2013 17 1083 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS AMONG HEALTHY ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA WAS RECOMMENDED IN BOTH CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL POPULATIONS AS THERAPY METHODS. THE DIVERSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE AS A THERAPY METHOD HAS RARELY BEEN DISCUSSED AND IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS. PRIMARY STUDY OBJECTIVE: THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA ON STRESS IN HEALTHY POPULATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AUTHORS INTENDED TO FIGURE OUT YOGA EFFECTS ON STRESS SYSTEMATICALLY. METHODS/DESIGN: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY ARTICLES THAT ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND YOGA-RELATED INTERVENTIONS ON STRESS REDUCTION IN NONCLINICAL POPULATIONS. STUDIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH OF THE INTERVENTION, YOGA TYPE, AND MEASURES OF OUTCOME. THE STUDIES WERE SELECTED THROUGHOUT LAST 5 YEARS (JANUARY 2014 TO NOVEMBER 2018) BY USING THE KEY SEARCHING TERM YOGA AND STRESS INCORPORATION WITH TENSION AND PRESSURE. THE SELECTION PROCESS FOLLOWED THE PRISMA FLOW DIAGRAM. RESULTS: TOTALLY, 12 ARTICLES ELABORATING ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA OR YOGA-RELATED INTERVENTIONS ON STRESS MANAGEMENT AND REMISSION WERE INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. THIS REVIEW INCLUDED VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICE (E.G., HATHA YOGA, BIKRAM YOGA, KUNDALINI YOGA, SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA, KRIPALU YOGA, YIN YOGA). A TIME SPECTRUM WAS CONDUCTED FROM 4 WKS TO 28 WKS. THIS REVIEW REVEALED THAT MOST TYPES OF YOGA HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS REDUCTION IN HEATHY POPULATIONS. CONCLUSION: FURTHER STUDIES ARE RECOMMENDED TO EXAMINE THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF YOGA AND UNDERLYING PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS CAUSING STRESS AND MENTAL RESTRAIN. IN ADDITION, IT IS SUGGESTED TO CONSIDER AGE AS A RISK FACTOR AFFECTING THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS. 2020 18 2085 36 THE EFFECT OF LONG TERM COMBINED YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE OF HEALTHY ADULTS. BACKGROUND: DIFFERENT PROCEDURES PRACTICED IN YOGA HAVE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE WHEN STUDIED ACUTELY. IN DAILY LIFE HOWEVER, THESE PROCEDURES ARE USUALLY PRACTICED IN COMBINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE NET CHANGE IN THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) OF INDIVIDUALS ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES (ASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES, MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING EXERCISES) FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS, AT A RESIDENTIAL YOGA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER AT BANGALORE. METHODS: THE MEASURED BMR OF INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF CONTROL SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA BUT LED SIMILAR LIFESTYLES. RESULTS: THE BMR OF THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE NON-YOGA GROUP, AND WAS LOWER BY ABOUT 13 % WHEN ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT (P < 0.001). THIS DIFFERENCE PERSISTED WHEN THE GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED BY GENDER; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE IN BMR ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT WAS GREATER IN WOMEN THAN MEN (ABOUT 8 AND 18% RESPECTIVELY). IN ADDITION, THE MEAN BMR OF THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEIR PREDICTED VALUES, WHILE THE MEAN BMR OF NON-YOGA GROUP WAS COMPARABLE WITH THEIR PREDICTED VALUES DERIVED FROM 1985 WHO/FAO/UNU PREDICTIVE EQUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BMR, PROBABLY LINKED TO REDUCED AROUSAL, WITH THE LONG TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA USING A COMBINATION OF STIMULATORY AND INHIBITORY YOGIC PRACTICES. 2006 19 2200 31 THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A FORM OF TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW YOGA INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT IMPROVING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. A TOTAL OF 23 INTERVENTIONS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2011 AND MAY 2016 WERE EVALUATED IN THIS REVIEW. THREE STUDY DESIGNS WERE USED: RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, AND PRETEST/POSTTEST, WITH MAJORITY BEING RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS. MOST OF THE STUDIES WERE IN THE UNITED STATES. VARIOUS YOGA SCHOOLS WERE USED, WITH THE MOST COMMON BEING HATHA YOGA. THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDIES RANGED FROM 14 TO 136, IMPLYING THAT MOST STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE. THE DURATION OF THE INTERVENTION PERIOD VARIED GREATLY, WITH THE MAJORITY BEING 6 WEEKS OR LONGER. LIMITATIONS OF THE INTERVENTIONS INVOLVED THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZES USED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDIES, MOST STUDIES EXAMINING THE SHORT-TERM EFFECT OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, AND THE NONUTILIZATION OF BEHAVIORAL THEORIES. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS, IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING DEPRESSION. 2017 20 2429 32 YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE - A REVIEW AND COMPARISON. YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL WITH ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS ONE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS. THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA WHICH ARE VERY COMMONLY APPLIED FOR HEALTH BENEFITS ARE ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (REGULATED BREATHING) AND MEDITATION. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANAS, YOGA RESEMBLES MORE OF A PHYSICAL EXERCISE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS ANOTHER KIND OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS ARTICLE AIMS AT EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN TERMS OF CONCEPTS, POSSIBLE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS. A NARRATIVE REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE FOR YOGA, ALONG WITH SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON YOGA AND EXERCISE INCLUDING HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARATIVE TRIALS WITH HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS DISEASE CONDITIONS. PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE SEVERAL SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE EQUAL AND/OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN MOST OUTCOME MEASURES. EMPHASIS ON BREATH REGULATION, MINDFULNESS DURING PRACTICE, AND IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO MAINTENANCE OF POSTURES ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOGA PRACTICES FROM PHYSICAL EXERCISES. 2016