1 592 168 DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR OLDER ADULTS. AIM: THIS STUDY REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A NEW YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR OLDER ADULTS, CALLED THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH NUMEROUS HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING REDUCED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, BODY MASS INDEX AND BLOOD PRESSURE. YOGA IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED RESPIRATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND PAIN MANAGEMENT. STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE OLDER POPULATION. METHOD: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 2005 AND IT HAD TWO PHASES. PHASE I CONSISTED OF SENDING A SURVEY TO 10 EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME. A HARD COPY AND A VIDEO CONTAINING DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE PROGRAMME WERE THEN SENT TO THE EXPERTS FOR REVIEW AND CRITIQUE REGARDING THE CLARITY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE YOGA POSTURES. PHASE II WAS AN ENQUIRY INTO OLDER ADULTS' VIEWS ON THE PROGRAMME USING A QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION AND SEMI-STRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INQUIRY. FOURTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPANTS FROM A SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRE WERE INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY AFTER 1 MONTH OF SILVER YOGA GROUP PRACTICE, THREE TIMES PER WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION. THEY WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF POSTURES BASED ON THE CRITERIA OF DIFFICULTY, ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS. FIVE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO REFLECT ON THEIR YOGA EXPERIENCES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS' MEAN RATINGS OF THE ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS OF THE FOUR ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMME (WARM-UP, HATHA YOGA, RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION) RANGED FROM 8.8 +/- 1.9 TO 9.3 +/- 1.5; MEAN RATINGS OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PROGRAMME REVEALED THAT RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION WERE FAIRLY EASY TO FOLLOW (0.1 +/- 0.3 AND 0.1 +/- 0.3 RESPECTIVELY), BUT THE POSTURES IN THE HATHA YOGA WERE RELATIVELY CHALLENGING (2.1 +/- 2.6). CONCLUSION: THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME SHOULD UNDERGO FURTHER PILOT-TESTING WITH LARGER SAMPLES OF OLDER ADULTS BEFORE IT IS TAKEN UP INTERNATIONALLY AS A HEALTH-PROMOTION ACTIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS. 2007 2 1742 55 PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AFTER 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PROMOTING PHYSICAL FITNESS OF YOUNG-OLDER ADULTS IS ESSENTIAL IN REDUCING HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES WHICH WOULD OCCUR IN THE FUTURE FOR THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME WAS DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE REDUCED BODY FLEXIBILITY EXPERIENCED BY MANY OLDER ADULTS AND WAS CRITICALLY REVIEWED BY EXPERTS AND PILOT-TESTED WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST OLDER ADULTS' PHYSICAL FITNESS AFTER A 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER THE PROGRAMME COULD BE FURTHER SHORTENED TO FIT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES' PROGRAMME DESIGNS. DESIGN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, PRE-POST TESTS DESIGN WAS USED: BASELINE, AT 12-WEEK AND AT 24-WEEK PERIODS. METHODS: CONVENIENCE SAMPLES OF 204 SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED FROM EIGHT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AND 176 SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THREE GROUPS BASED ON THE CENTRES: (1) EXPERIMENT I: COMPLETE SILVER YOGA WITH STRETCHING AND MEDITATION, (2) EXPERIMENT II: SHORTENED SILVER YOGA WITHOUT THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION AND (3) WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE INTERVENTIONS WERE CONDUCTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR 24 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS INDICATORS INCLUDED BODY COMPOSITIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS AND THE RANGE OF MOTION. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE 24-WEEK PERIOD, THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF SUBJECTS IN EXPERIMENTS I AND II HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED WHETHER OR NOT GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION WAS USED AND ALL HAD BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS THAN SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN BOTH THE 70-MINUTE COMPLETE SILVER YOGA GROUP AND THE 55-MINUTE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME BE SHORTENED BY ELIMINATING THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME IS RECOMMENDED TO BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAMME IN COMMUNITY-SETTINGS TO PROMOTE THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS. 2008 3 2385 46 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 4 502 71 COMMUNITY VS. INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS' EVALUATIONS OF AND PREFERENCES FOR YOGA EXERCISES. AIMS: TO EVALUATE AND COMPARE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS AND TO DETERMINE THEIR PREFERENCES TOWARDS YOGA EXERCISES. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN USED TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF ELDERS. THE SILVER YOGA WAS DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE PHYSICAL TOLERANCE AND BODY FLEXIBILITY OF ELDERS AND APPLIED TO COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS WITH POSITIVE HEALTH PROMOTION BENEFITS. DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN WITH QUANTITATIVE PROGRAMME EVALUATION AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. METHOD: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 97 PARTICIPANTS (64 COMMUNITY ELDERS; 33 INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS) WAS INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY AFTER SIX MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES. PARTICIPANTS RATED THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY, ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS OF THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME (FOUR PHASES: WARM-UP, HATHA YOGA, RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION) AND THE ABDOMINAL BREATHING TECHNIQUE, BASED ON A 10-POINT CANTRIL LADDER SCALE. FURTHER, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED THEIR PREFERENCES OF YOGA EXERCISES BASED ON FOUR OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. RESULTS: THE PROGRAMME WAS FAIRLY ACCEPTABLE, FEASIBLE AND HELPFUL FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS (MEANS RANGED FROM 8.33-9.70). THE WARM-UP, RELAXATION, GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION AND ABDOMINAL BREATHING ARE FAIRLY EASY TO FOLLOW AND PERFORM (MEANS RANGED FROM 0.20-0.94). HOWEVER, THE POSTURES IN HATHA YOGA PHASE WERE RELATIVELY CHALLENGING BUT STILL MANAGEABLE FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS (MEAN = 1.97, SD 2.33). FURTHER, COMMUNITY ELDERS PREFERRED TO PRACTISE YOGA 61-90 MINUTES EVERYDAY IN A GROUP OF 11-20, WHILE THE INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS PREFERRED TO PRACTISE YOGA 31-60 MINUTES THREE TIMES PER WEEK, IN A GROUP OF <10. CONCLUSIONS: THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME IS ACCEPTABLE, FEASIBLE, HELPFUL AND MANAGEABLE FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS. HOWEVER, DIFFERENT EXERCISE PROTOCOLS, SUCH AS PRACTICE INTENSITY AND GROUP SIZE, COULD BE APPLIED TO DIFFERENT OLDER POPULATIONS. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME COULD BE APPLIED TO BOTH COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS TO PROMOTE THEIR HEALTH. 2011 5 1958 34 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 6 2249 38 THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA PARTICIPATION IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. CONTEXT: THE MULTIFACTORIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE LITERATURE, WITH THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA THERAPY INTO HEALTHCARE BEING AN EMERGING FIELD. IN GENERAL, YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS ARE UTILIZED IN THE COMMUNITY AS AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER THERAPY. AT PRESENT, LIMITED REHABILITATION UNITS ROUTINELY INCORPORATE INTEGRATIVE THERAPY OPTIONS WITHIN A HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLORE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THIRTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED TO THE STUDY AFTER VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA CLASS WITHIN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION UNIT OF A MAJOR METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL. YOGA SESSIONS WERE HELD WEEKLY FOR 60 MIN AND CONSISTED OF A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA STYLE. THIS WAS A MIXED-METHODS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL ONE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST STUDY. METHODOLOGY: QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED TO MEASURE PERCEPTIONS OF RELAXATION AND WELL-BEING BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA CLASSES, ALONG WITH THE SATISFACTION OF THE CLASS. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE UTILIZED TO COLLECT QUALITATIVE DATA OF EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PARTICIPATION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA. QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS, AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE ALSO PROVIDED. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS DESCRIBED BY PARTICIPANTS ARE REPORTED IN THIS PAPER. THESE INCLUDE IMPROVED RELAXATION, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, BEING PRESENT, AND SELF-AWARENESS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM REGULAR YOGA PARTICIPATION WITHIN AN INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING. 2020 7 583 50 DESIGNING, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY. CONTEXT: AGEING IS AN UNAVOIDABLE FACET OF LIFE. YOGIC PRACTICES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE USED EITHER YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTIONS DERIVED FROM A PARTICULAR SCHOOL OF YOGA OR HAVE TESTED SPECIFIC YOGIC PRACTICES LIKE MEDITATION. AIMS: THIS STUDY REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY WITH OR WITHOUT MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT THE ADVANCED CENTRE FOR YOGA, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROSCIENCES, BANGALORE. THE MODULE WAS DEVELOPED, VALIDATED, AND THEN PILOT-TESTED ON VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE FIRST PART OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF DESIGNING OF A YOGA MODULE BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE. THIS YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THE THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT WERE SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE INTENDED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. IN THE SECOND PART, THE FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WAS TESTED. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N=10) OPINED THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WILL BE USEFUL IN IMPROVING COGNITION IN ELDERLY, BUT WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. FREQUENT SUPERVISED YOGA SESSIONS, REGULAR FOLLOW-UPS, ADDITION/DELETION/MODIFICATIONS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS. TEN ELDERLY CONSENTED AND EIGHT COMPLETED THE PILOT TESTING OF THE INTERVENTION. ALL OF THEM WERE ABLE TO PERFORM MOST OF THE SUKSMAVYAYAMA, PRANAYAMA AND NADANUSANDHANA (MEDITATION) TECHNIQUE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS (N=3) EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING POSTURES SEATED ON THE GROUND. MOST OF THE OLDER ADULTS EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN REMEMBERING AND COMPLETING ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION INDEPENDENTLY. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION IS FEASIBLE IN THE ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TESTING WITH A LARGER SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS IS WARRANTED. 2013 8 13 45 "MORE THAN I EXPECTED": PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH PARTICIPANTS FROM TRIALS EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A POPULATION OF OLDER, PREDOMINANTLY OVERWEIGHT ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN A GENTLE 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: THIS STUDY USED A CONSTRUCTIVIST-INTERPRETIVE APPROACH TO NATURALISTIC INQUIRY. SETTING: A TOTAL OF 42 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR THE CURRENT QUALITATIVE STUDY. INTERVENTION: THE 8-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM INCLUDED TWO 90-MIN YOGA CLASSES AND FIVE 30-MIN HOME SESSIONS PER WEEK. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED WEEKLY LOGS AND AN EXIT QUESTIONNAIRE AT THE END OF THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: QUALITATIVE DATA FROM WEEKLY LOGS AND EXIT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPILED AND CONVENTIONAL CONTENT ANALYSIS PERFORMED WITH THE USE OF ATLAS.TI TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS. RESULTS: FOUR BROAD THEMES EMERGED FROM CONTENT ANALYSIS: PRACTICING YOGA IMPROVED OVERALL PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND CAPACITY (FOR 83% OF PARTICIPANTS); PRACTICING YOGA REDUCED STRESS/ANXIETY AND ENHANCED CALMNESS (83% OF PARTICIPANTS); PRACTICING YOGA ENRICHED THE QUALITY OF SLEEP (21% OF PARTICIPANTS); AND PRACTICING YOGA SUPPORTED EFFORTS TOWARD DIETARY IMPROVEMENTS (14% OF PARTICIPANTS). CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE ANCILLARY BENEFITS IN TERMS OF IMPROVED PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ENHANCED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL STATE, ENRICHED SLEEP QUALITY, AND IMPROVED LIFESTYLE CHOICES, AND MAY BE USEFUL AS A HEALTH PROMOTION STRATEGY IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASE. 2013 9 1997 45 STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING SELF-EFFICACY AND OBSERVED SUCCESS IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES FOR THERAPEUTIC INDICATIONS: METHODS FROM A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER WOMEN. BACKGROUND: MOST CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING YOGA LACK ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC YOGA ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES. FEW STUDIES HAVE MEASURED SELF-EFFICACY REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF YOGA POSTURES OR ASSESSED OBSERVED SUCCESS IN PERFORMING POSTURES. METHODS: WE DEVELOPED AND PILOTED SEVERAL TOOLS TO EVALUATE SELF-EFFICACY AND OBSERVED SUCCESS IN PRACTICING YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF A RANDOMIZED FEASIBILITY TRIAL OF AN IYENGAR-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE IN AMBULATORY WOMEN >/=50 YEARS. AT THE END OF THE 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION INVOLVING TWICE WEEKLY GROUP YOGA CLASSES AND ONCE WEEKLY HOME PRACTICE, PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR SELF-EFFICACY IN PERFORMING EACH OF THE INCLUDED 15 YOGA POSTURES ON A 5-POINT LIKERT SCALE. DURING THE 12TH WEEK, AN EXPERT YOGA CONSULTANT OBSERVED PARTICIPANTS AND RATED THEIR COMPETENCY IN PERFORMING POSTURES ON A 5-POINT SCALE. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT SELF-EFFICACY IN ADHERING TO HOME YOGA PRACTICE. WE EXAMINED THE DISTRIBUTION OF AND CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SCORES ON THE ABOVE MEASURES. RESULTS: AMONG 27 PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE 65 YEARS), THE RANGE OF MEANS FOR SELF-EFFICACY RATINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL POSTURES WAS 3.6 TO 4.5. THE RANGE OF MEANS FOR OBSERVED COMPETENCY RATINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL POSTURES WAS 3.3 TO 5.0. MEAN SELF-EFFICACY RATING FOR CONFIDENCE IN ADHERING TO THE ASSIGNED ONCE-WEEKLY HOME YOGA PRACTICE WAS 2.8 (RANGE 1 TO 5). POSTURE SELF-EFFICACY WAS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH PARTICIPANT AGE (P = 0.01) AND POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL FUNCTION (P = 0.03) AND MOBILITY (P = 0.01). NO SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN POSTURE SELF-EFFICACY SCALE SCORES AND EXPERT-OBSERVED YOGA COMPETENCY RATINGS OR PRACTICE ADHERENCE SELF-EFFICACY SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: THESE MEASURES HOLD PROMISE FOR ADVANCING YOGA RESEARCH AND PRACTICE BY DESCRIBING METHODS TO: 1) MEASURE SELF-EFFICACY IN PERFORMING SPECIFIC YOGA POSTURES; 2) USE AN EXPERT OBSERVER TO ASSESS PARTICIPANTS' COMPETENCE IN PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES; AND 3) MEASURE SELF-EFFICACY IN ADHERING TO HOME PRACTICE. THESE PROPOSED MEASURES CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, TO ASSESS WHETHER STUDY PARTICIPANTS ARE ABLE TO LEARN TO PRACTICE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA AND/OR MAINTAIN THIS PRACTICE OVER TIME, AS WELL AS TO INVESTIGATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND COMPETENCY IN PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT02342678, JANUARY 21, 2015. 2020 10 2695 30 YOGA INFLUENCES RECOVERY DURING INPATIENT REHABILITATION: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND ASSESS WHETHER PATIENTS CHOSE TO ENGAGE IN YOGA THERAPY IN ADDITION TO OTHER DAILY THERAPIES, TO DESCRIBE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF HOW YOGA THERAPY INFLUENCED RECOVERY, AND TO ASSESS AND DESCRIBE PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS WAS A SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY, ADDING YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION. YOGA THERAPY WAS OFFERED AS GROUP YOGA OR INDIVIDUAL YOGA TWICE A WEEK. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WERE COMPLETED VIA TELEPHONE POST-DISCHARGE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 55 OF THE 77 (71%) PEOPLE CONTACTED ABOUT THE STUDY ENGAGED IN YOGA THERAPY IN THE INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING FOR THIS STUDY AND 31 (56%) OF THESE COMPLETED THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. QUALITATIVE DATA SUPPORT THAT PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THAT YOGA THERAPY IMPROVED BREATHING, RELAXATION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH THEY OFTEN INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE INCREASED FLEXIBILITY OR FREQUENCY OF YOGA. ALMOST ALL PARTICIPANTS (97%) SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM TO OTHERS IN INPATIENT REHABILITATION. CONCLUSION: WE WERE ABLE TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF HAVING THE YOGA THERAPY IN THEIR REHABILITATION STAY. 2015 11 1752 35 PILOT-TESTING THE EFFECTS OF A NEWLY-DEVELOPED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO PILOT-TEST THE HEALTH PROMOTION EFFECTS OF A SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. USING A ONE-GROUP, PRE-POST TEST DESIGN, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 16 COMMUNITY-DWELLING FEMALE SENIORS WAS RECRUITED. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION WAS ADMINISTERED THREE TIMES A WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR FOUR WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FOUR-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS' BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED, BALANCE AND RANGE OF MOTION ON SHOULDER FLEXION AND ABDUCTION IMPROVED, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE WAS MINIMIZED (ALL P < .05). PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM PROVIDES POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PROMOTION OF GOOD HEALTH IN FEMALE SENIORS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES. 2008 12 1151 40 ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY: A PILOT STUDY ON WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH INTEGRATING YOGA INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE. INTRODUCTION: HEALTH GUIDELINES SUGGEST THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YET RARELY DO THEY MEET THESE GUIDELINES. MEANS TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN ARE REQUIRED, AND YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS A POSSIBLE METHOD TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, OUR PRIMARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE PREGNANT WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AN INTERVENTION WHICH INTEGRATES A LOW-INTENSITY FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YOGA, INTO PRENATAL CARE; OUR SECONDARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. METHODS: HELD IN AN OUTPATIENT OBSTETRICS DEPARTMENT OF AN URBAN HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS PILOT STUDY ENROLLED 16 PREGNANT WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVENTION THROUGHOUT THEIR PREGNANCY. WE EXPLORED PARTICIPANTS' LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERVENTION USING QUALITATIVE METHODS (PHENOMENOLOGY). MEANS, VARIANCES, AND COVARIANCES WERE CALCULATED FOR THE 2 MEASURES (SELF-EFFICACY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUPS SUGGEST THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR PRENATAL YOGA TO BE INTEGRATED INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE CLASSES AND WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY. PARTICIPANTS DID NOT CONSIDER THE INTERVENTION TO FIT WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF EXERCISE. WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED AMOUNTS OF TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM BASELINE TO THE END OF PREGNANCY, BUT THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SELF-EFFICACY OVER TIME. DISCUSSION: THE INTEGRATION OF GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO THE GROUP PRENATAL CARE MODEL WARRANTS FURTHER ATTENTION FOR POTENTIAL BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO MATERNAL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS. 2019 13 1707 31 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 14 2367 27 WEEKLY ASSESSMENT OF NUMBER OF YOGA CLASSES AND AMOUNT OF YOGA HOME PRACTICE: AGREEMENT WITH DAILY DIARIES. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE, TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE IN THE PAST WEEK, AND NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE. "INFORMAL" PRACTICE WAS DEFINED AS "IN THE MIDDLE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, YOU SPENT A FEW MOMENTS ENGAGED IN ASANAS/POSTURES, FOCUS ON BREATH, BODY AWARENESS, OR VERY BRIEF MEDITATION, FOR LESS THAN 5 MIN AT A TIME." WE ASSESSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THIS WEEKLY ASSESSMENT AND A DAILY HOME PRACTICE LOG. DESIGN AND SETTING: SEVENTY-TWO COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED ONLINE DAILY YOGA LOGS FOR 28 DAYS AS WELL AS THE WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT FOUR TIMES OVER THE 28 DAY PERIOD. RESULTS: WE EXAMINED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS ON THE FOUR INDICES OF AMOUNT OF WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS FOR NUMBER OF CLASSES, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE, AND TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE. AGREEMENT WAS LOWER FOR NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR USE OF A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED AND AMOUNT OF FORMAL BUT NOT INFORMAL HOME PRACTICE. 2019 15 1845 46 QUALITATIVE STUDY OF YOGA FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN SCHOOL SPORTS. OBJECTIVES: DISTRESS AND STRESS-RELATED DISEASES ARE AN INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AT SCHOOLS. THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS NESTED IN A NON-RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF A 10-WEEK YOGA COURSE AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR REGULAR SCHOOL SPORTS IN TWO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN GERMANY. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION IN 3 FOCUS GROUPS WITH 6 PARTICIPANTS EACH. THE FOCUS GROUPS WERE AUDIO-RECORDED, TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM, PSEUDONYMISED AND ANALYSED USING QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS. FURTHERMORE OPEN QUESTIONS WERE ASKED IN QUESTIONNAIRES. RESULTS: THE ANALYSIS OF THE PARTICIPANTS' INTERVIEWS (MEAN AGE 19.6 +/- 2.9 YEARS, N = 10 FEMALE, N = 8 MALE) RESULTED IN 4 KEY TOPICS: 1. ENCOUNTERING YOGA, 2. YOGA PRACTICE, 3. EFFECTS AND BENEFITS OF YOGA, AND 4. YOGA IN THE SCHOOL CONTEXT. YOGA WAS VERY WELL ACCEPTED BY MOST PARTICIPANTS. THEY REPORTED A VARIETY OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS OVERALL RESTORATIVE EFFECTS. THE RELIEF OF PAIN OR OTHER PHYSICAL AILMENTS, HIGHER MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY, IMPROVED POSTURE AND IMPROVED SLEEP WERE MENTIONED BY THE PARTICIPANTS. SOME PARTICIPANTS USED THE NEW EXERCISES AND EXPERIENCES (E.G. WORKING WITH THE BREATH) IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE. THE POSSIBILITY FOR SELF-RESPONSIBLE ACTION WAS A WELCOME CHANGE FROM THE PERCEIVED PRESSURE AND HETERONOMY IN NORMAL (SCHOOL) LIFE. CONTROVERSIAL WAS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA - IF IT IS PART OF SCHOOL SPORT - SHOULD BE ASSESSED OR GRADED, AND WHETHER IT SHOULD BE COMPULSORY OR VOLUNTARY. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN OFFER BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS IN YOUNG ADULTS AS WELL AS OFFER GENERAL REGENERATIVE EFFECTS. YOGA BY SENSITIZING THE PARTICIPANTS TO NEGATIVE PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR CAN ENCOURAGE HEALTHY BEHAVIOUR. 2020 16 1723 38 PERCEPTIONS OF HATHA YOGA AMONGST PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN A TRIAL OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVES: TO UNDERSTAND DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS' EXPERIENCES IN A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER 10 WEEKS OF HATHA YOGA CLASSES OR A HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL GROUP. THIS REPORT INCLUDES RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA CLASSES. AT THE START OF CLASSES, AVERAGE DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY LEVEL WAS MODERATE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES, WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS (N=50) TO PROVIDE WRITTEN RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT CLASSES, WHAT THEY DID NOT LIKE OR DID NOT FIND HELPFUL, AND WHAT THEY LEARNED. WE ANALYZED QUALITATIVE DATA USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: ELEMENTS OF YOGA CLASSES THAT MAY INCREASE ACCEPTABILITY FOR DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS INCLUDE HAVING INSTRUCTORS WHO PROMOTE A NON-COMPETITIVE AND NON-JUDGMENTAL ATMOSPHERE, WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ABLE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION, AND WHO ARE KIND AND WARM. INCLUDING DEPRESSION-RELATED THEMES IN CLASSES, TEACHING MINDFULNESS, TEACHING BREATHING EXERCISES, AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR TRANSLATING CLASS INTO HOME PRACTICE MAY HELP TO MAKE YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR TARGETING DEPRESSION. PARTICIPANTS' COMMENTS REINFORCED THE IMPORTANCE OF ASPECTS OF MINDFULNESS, SUCH AS ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF ONE'S SELF AND ONE'S EXPERIENCE, AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION. OTHER POTENTIAL MECHANISMS INCLUDE USE OF BREATHING PRACTICES IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT UNDERLIE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF YOGIC BREATHING. THE MOST SERIOUS CONCERN HIGHLIGHTED BY A FEW PARTICIPANTS WAS THE CONCERN THAT THE YOGA CLASSES WERE TOO DIFFICULT GIVEN THEIR PHYSICAL ABILITIES. 2017 17 1684 30 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 18 976 36 EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM WITH HEALTH EDUCATION AND HATHA YOGA ON THE HEALTH OF PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. INTRODUCTION: MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS ARE RELEVANT IN THE WORKERS' DISEASE PROCESS, AND ERGONOMIC INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDE GUIDANCE AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE CONSIST OF STRATEGIES OF HEALTH PROMOTION. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES ARE PRESENTED AS A POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND YOGA CONSISTS OF A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS IN PROFESSIONALS OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. METHODS: WE SELECTED 125 PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS OF INTENSITY >/= 1 WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED THEM TO INTERVENTION (N = 63) AND CONTROL (N = 62) GROUPS, REQUESTING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION, THE NORDIC MUSCULOSKELETAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND A NUMERIC SCALE, THE PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WENT THROUGH A 12-WEEK PROGRAM WITH EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA. AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD, BOTH GROUPS ANSWERED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES ONCE AGAIN. WE COMPARED DATA BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS PRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA COLLECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEVELS OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS DECREASED MORE STRONGLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEGAN THE PROGRAM IN WORSE CLINICAL CONDITIONS, THE PROGRAM LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP TO REACH BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE INTERVENTION PROMOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INTENSITY OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP. SIMILAR PROGRAMS COULD BE EXPLORED IN THE PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. 2020 19 1243 43 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA, AEROBIC AND STRETCHING-TONING EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STAYFIT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG CLINICAL POPULATIONS AND OLDER ADULTS WHO USE THIS PRACTICE TO MANAGE AGE AND CHRONIC DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH YOGA CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS, PILOT STUDIES THAT EXAMINE ITS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, ARE LIMITED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE TARGET POPULATION IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGER SCALE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY DATA FROM A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) CONDUCTED WITH ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS N = 78 (MEAN AGE: 55 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, OR STRETCHING-TONING CONTROL GROUP WITH GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES HELD FOR 150 MIN/WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. HEREIN WE REPORT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, ATTRITION AND ADVERSE EVENTS, AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK AND SATISFACTION DATA. RESULTS: OF THE 233 ADULTS SCREENED, 109 WERE ELIGIBLE AND 78 RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THE THREE INTERVENTION ARMS. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH FOR ALL GROUPS (75.5-89.5%) AND 17 PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS HIGH (4.8 OR HIGHER OUT OF 5) AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. ONE COHORT (N = 15) OF THE INTERVENTION TRANSITIONED TO REMOTE INTERVENTION DELIVERY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FEASIBILITY DATA FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED THAT SYNCHRONIZED GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES VIA ZOOM WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR WERE ACCEPTABLE AND ENJOYABLE. PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK REGARDING MOST AND LEAST HELPFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE. THE FEASIBILITY PARAMETERS FROM THIS TRIAL CAN AID RESEARCHERS IN ESTIMATING RECRUITMENT RATES FOR DESIRED SAMPLE SIZES TO SUCCESSFULLY RANDOMIZE AND RETAIN CANCER SURVIVORS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA-BASED EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. THE FINDINGS ALSO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO CLINICIANS WHO CAN RECOMMEND UP TO 150 MIN OF A COMBINATION OF EXERCISES-AEROBIC, YOGA, OR STRETCHING-TONING TO THEIR CANCER PATIENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP. 2021 20 2903 41 [HOW SHOULD YOGA IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA TREATMENT BE APPLIED? A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY ON YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL FROM PATIENTS' PERSPECTIVE]. AN ALTERED INTEROCEPTION IS A CENTRAL CORRELATE OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA (AN) AND ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE OFFERS A PROMISING APPROACH IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. FIRST RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A BODY-FOCUSED INTERVENTION IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. HOWEVER, TO DATE THERE IS A LACK OF EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE QUESTION HOW YOGA STRATEGIES AND YOGA ELEMENTS (POSTURES, RELAXATION, BREATH, MEDITATION) SHOULD BE APPLIED. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY WITH N=6 FEMALE PATIENTS WITH AN UNDERGOING TREATMENT IN A SPECIALIST UNIT SUPPORTING RE-INSERTION SUBSEQUENT TO A PRECEDING INPATIENT AN TREATMENT. STUDY PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A WEEKLY ONE-HOUR HATHA-YOGA INTERVENTION OVER AT LEAST 12 WEEKS. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS (1/2 TO 1 HOUR) WERE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE EXPERIENCES OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS DURING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING GROUNDED THEORY. AT THE UPPER LEVEL OF ANALYSIS, FOUR CATEGORIES WERE DIFFERENTIATED: INFORMATION REGARDING 1) STUDY PARTICIPANTS' SYMPTOMS, 2) ASPECTS OF THE SETTING EXPERIENCED TO BE BENEFICIAL, 3) YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL AND 4) PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES OF YOGA STRATEGIES. WITH REGARD TO THE YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL, ANALYSES REVEALED 4 SUBCATEGORIES: FEATURES OF 1) POSTURES AND MOVEMENTS, 2) BREATH AND MEDITATION EXERCISES, 3) RELAXATION EXERCISES AND 4) GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SETTING. THE RESULTS GIVE FIRST INDICATIONS REGARDING THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF AN AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. FURTHER QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDIES ARE NEEDED, E.G., WITH REGARD TO EFFECTIVENESS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, MEDIATORS OR MODERATORS TO BETTER EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. 2021