1 853 92 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND THE FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS. YOGA AS A MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTION IS INCREASINGLY CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE THE MOTOR SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEIR MOTOR SKILLS. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF GROUP YOGA PROGRAM ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. FORTY-THREE CHILDREN WITH ASD FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 23) AND CONTROL (N = 20) GROUP. A STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM OF 45 MIN FOR 12 WEEKS WAS DELIVERED BY TRAINED YOGA TEACHERS WHO ALSO TRACKED THEIR DAILY RESPONSES. THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY. SECOND EDITION WAS USED TO ASSESS BOTH THE GROUPS PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA APPEARS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE GROSS MOTOR RATHER THAN FINE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND IS FEASIBLE TO BE DELIVERED AS GROUP INTERVENTION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. 2022 2 562 35 CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD), INCLUDING POOR GROSS AND FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE, POOR BALANCE, AND INCOORDINATION. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. OBJECTIVE: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION USING CREATIVE YOGA ON THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD WERE EVALUATED. DESIGN: THIS STUDY HAD A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED BETWEEN 5 AND 13 YEARS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST-DELIVERED YOGA OR ACADEMIC INTERVENTION. CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MOTOR MEASURE, THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PERFORMANCE-2ND EDITION (BOT-2). THE IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN USING FAMILIAR TRAINING-SPECIFIC ACTIONS (IE, POSES FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BUILDING ACTIONS FOR THE ACADEMIC GROUP) WERE ALSO ASSESSED. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED GROSS MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND DISPLAYED FEWER IMITATION/PRAXIS ERRORS WHEN COPYING TRAINING-SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. IN CONTRAST, CHILDREN IN THE ACADEMIC GROUP IMPROVED THEIR FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND PERFORMED FEWER IMITATION ERRORS WHILE COMPLETING THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC BUILDING ACTIONS. LIMITATIONS: THE STUDY LIMITATIONS INCLUDE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND LACK OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE PROMISING TOOLS FOR ENHANCING THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2019 3 2191 35 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON CHILDREN'S MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PROGRAMS IN CHILDHOOD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS, TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN. AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES ON THE MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS OF 6-8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 16 CHILDREN FROM THE 1(ST) GRADE OF A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, TWICE WEEKLY, WITH 45 MIN EACH SESSION. TO ASSESS CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE, WE USED THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY - SECOND EDITION, THE FLEXIBILITY TEST (SIT AND REACH - EUROFIT, 1988), THE PICTORIAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND CLASSROOM' TEACHER. DATA WERE ANALYZED WITH WILCOXON TEST AND LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS 5%. RESULTS: THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS WELL ACCEPTED BY CHILDREN, CHILDREN ALSO DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE CHANGES IN OVERALL MOTOR ABILITIES SCORES (BALANCE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY). IN ADDITION, THE INTERVIEWS REPORTED CHANGING IN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND THE USE OF THE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM IN CONTEXTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS CONTRIBUTED TO CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT. 2016 4 1126 37 EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP, GASTROINTESTINAL AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. INTRODUCTION: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A NEURO DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WHICH APPEARS AT EARLY CHILDHOOD AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 36 MONTHS. APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) PROBLEMS. MAJOR BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN ARE LACK OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION, LESS ATTENTION SPAN, REPETITIVE AND RESTRICTIVE BEHAVIOUR, LACK OF EYE TO EYE CONTACT, AGGRESSIVE AND SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOURS, SENSORY INTEGRATION PROBLEMS, MOTOR PROBLEMS, DEFICIENCY IN ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ETC. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION WILL BRINGS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FIND OUT EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP PROBLEMS, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN EXPLORATORY STUDY WITH PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST CONTROL DESIGN. THREE SETS OF QUESTIONNAIRES HAVING 61 QUESTIONS DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE BASED ON THREE PROBLEMATIC AREAS OF ASD CHILDREN AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND WERE ADMINISTERED TO PARENTS BY TEACHERS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF RESEARCHER AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS GIVEN YOGA INTERVENTION FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS AND CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED WITH SCHOOL CURRICULUM. RESULTS: BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS INTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE SEEN POST YOGA INTERVENTION IN THREE AREAS OF PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANCE VALUE OF 0.001 IN THE RESULT. CONCLUSION: STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE CONDUCTED FOR A LARGE GROUP OF ASD CHILDREN WITH PARENT'S INVOLVEMENT. YOGA CAN BE USED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS OF ASD CHILDREN. 2017 5 1127 27 EFFICACY OF THE GET READY TO LEARN YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS USE SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS, BUT THESE INTERVENTIONS TYPICALLY LACK MANUALIZATION AND EVIDENCE FROM WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES. USING AN EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GET READY TO LEARN (GRTL) CLASSROOM YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). THE INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED THE MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM DAILY FOR 16 WK, AND THE CONTROL GROUP ENGAGED IN THEIR STANDARD MORNING ROUTINE. WE ASSESSED CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS WITH STANDARDIZED MEASURES AND BEHAVIOR CODING BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. WE COMPLETED A BETWEEN-GROUPS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN GAIN SCORES ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. STUDENTS IN THE GRTL PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES (P < .05) IN TEACHER RATINGS OF MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR, AS MEASURED WITH THE ABERRANT BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT USE OF DAILY CLASSROOMWIDE YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON KEY CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS AMONG CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2012 6 952 34 EFFECTS OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AS WELL AS AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A MULTISYSTEM INTERVENTION DUE TO ITS IMPACT ON BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF THIS APPROACH IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). THE CURRENT PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE IMPACT OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. METHODS: 24 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH ASD RECEIVED EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA (E.G., BREATHING, POSES, RELAXATION) OR TABLETOP PLAY/ACADEMIC INTERVENTION (E.G., READING, ARTS-CRAFTS, BUILDING ACTIVITIES). CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION. ADDITIONALLY, CHANGES IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED THREE TIMES DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, I.E. DURING EARLY, MID, AND LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS. RESULTS: CHILDREN WITH ASD SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION IN BOTH GROUPS IN THE POSTTEST VS. THE PRETEST. FURTHERMORE, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACROSS THE INTERVENTION SESSIONS, I.E. GREATER SPONTANEOUS AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNICATION FROM EARLY/MID TO LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN AFFECTIVE STATES WITH THE INTERVENTION, HOWEVER, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED GREATER INTERESTED AND LESS NEGATIVE AFFECT COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IS A PROMISING TOOL THAT LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERVENTION-RELATED SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND GENERALIZED JOINT ATTENTION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2021 7 1164 31 EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM INTEGRATED WITH THIRD-WAVE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY COMPONENTS ON SELF-REGULATION IN CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. LAY ABSTRACT: CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE REGULATION OF ATTENTION, THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND BEHAVIOR, UNDERSTANDING, AND EXPRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS APPROPRIATELY, AS WELL AS ANXIETY, AND SLEEP. IN AUTISM RESEARCH, CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES THAT WORK THROUGH BOTH BODY AND MIND HAVE SHOWN TENTATIVELY PROMISING RESULTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE LIMITED STUDIES ON THIS TOPIC, AND THE USE OF YOGA TO FACILITATE EXECUTIVE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN RESEARCHED YET. THE INCREDIBLE EXPLORERS (6-WEEK PROGRAM), A YOGA-INFORMED INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN (8-12 YEARS), WAS DEVELOPED TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER, FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, THE TRAINING COULD IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO SELF-REGULATE, REDUCE ANXIETY AND SLEEP PROBLEMS, AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF EMOTIONS. IN OUR SAMPLE, 61 CHILDREN WITH ONE OF THEIR PARENTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. HALF OF THE GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION, AND THE OTHER HALF HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED THEIR TRIAL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK IMMEDIATELY AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION AND AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. COMPARED TO THE GROUP THAT WAS WAITING TO RECEIVE THE INTERVENTION, PARENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT GAINS FOR THEIR CHILDREN IN REGULATING THEIR OVERALL EXECUTIVE CONTROL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SESSION AND AGAIN AT FOLLOW-UP. THE PARENTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE SLEEP PROBLEMS POST-TREATMENT. CHILDREN INDICATED AN IMPROVED ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FEELINGS AND WILLINGNESS TO ANALYZE THEIR EMOTIONS POST-INTERVENTION. HOWEVER, THE STUDY HAD SEVERAL SHORTCOMINGS AND GIVEN THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIAL OF THE PROGRAM, THE RESULTS NEED TO BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 8 1652 27 MULTIMODAL BEHAVIOR PROGRAM FOR ADHD INCORPORATING YOGA AND IMPLEMENTED BY HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS: A PILOT STUDY. A LOW-COST RESOURCE APPROACH TO ADHD THERAPY WOULD BE A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO TREATING CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT ADHD IS PREVALENT IN ALL AREAS OF THE WORLD, AND YET TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN IN MORE IMPOVERISHED COUNTRIES IS STILL LACKING. THE APPROACH TAKEN WAS TO COMBINE YOGA AND MEDITATION COMBINED WITH MULTIMODAL BEHAVIORAL THERAPY PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AGEING 6 TO 11. THE PROGRAM WAS KEPT LOW COST BY USING TRAINED HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS AND INTEGRATING THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL. AFTER 6 WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM, 90.5% OF CHILDREN SHOWED IMPROVEMENT AS MEASURED BY THEIR PERFORMANCE IMPAIRMENT SCORE, A MEASUREMENT OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. PARENT AND TEACHER EVALUATIONS OF BEHAVIOR ALSO FOUND IMPROVEMENT AS 25 OF THE 64 CHILDREN (39.1%) IMPROVED INTO THE NORMAL RANGE AS MEASURED BY THE VANDERBILT QUESTIONNAIRE. MOREOVER, CHILDREN COULD SUCCESSFULLY LEARN BOTH YOGA AND MEDITATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR AGE, ADHD TYPE, OR INITIAL PERFORMANCE IMPAIRMENT. THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE EFFICACY OF A MULTIMODAL BEHAVIORAL PROGRAM INCORPORATING YOGA AND MEDITATION. THE USE OF HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS FROM SCHOOLS IN THE AREA DEMONSTRATES AN EFFECTIVE LOW-COST AND UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE APPROACH. 2011 9 160 31 A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE IMPACT OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING OF MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: YOGA PROGRAMS GEARED FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD, BUT RESEARCH REGARDING ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN IS LACKING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE REPORTED POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THOUGH THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING WHEN COMPARED WITH PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASSES. METHODS: THIRTY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE RANDOMISED TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER A SCHOOL-BASED ASHTANGA-INFORMED YOGA OR PE CLASS THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. EMOTIONAL (I.E. AFFECT, SELF-PERCEPTIONS) AND BEHAVIOURAL (I.E. INTERNALISING AND EXTERNALISING PROBLEMS, AGGRESSION) FUNCTIONING WERE MEASURED PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BETWEEN GROUPS IN SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, GLOBAL SELF-WORTH, AGGRESSION INDICES OR PARENT REPORTS OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EXTERNALISING AND INTERNALISING PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, NEGATIVE AFFECT INCREASED FOR THOSE CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA WHEN COMPARED TO THE PE PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: IN GENERAL, FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND PE CLASSES DO NOT DIFFERENTIALLY IMPACT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING. HOWEVER, CHILDREN REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AFTER RECEIVING YOGA WHILE CHILDREN IN THE PE GROUP REPORTED A DECREASE IN THESE FEELINGS. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE RESULTS AND POTENTIAL DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON CHILDREN'S YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 10 2062 32 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH TO THE EFFECTS OF POSES AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. BACKGROUND: DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LIKELY TO BE MORE SEDENTARY AND OBESE AND EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOGA AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS LEVELS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND BEHAVIOR OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. AIMS: USING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO EXAMINE BEHAVIORAL, PERSONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE MULTILEVEL INFLUENCES OF A YOGA-BASED CLASSROOM INTERVENTION ON URBAN YOUTH. METHODS: USING A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS (N = 40) AT ONE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A SURVEY CONTAINED STRESS, YOGA BEHAVIOR, AND AGGRESSION SCALES. IN ADDITION, INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERVIEWS, A TEACHER INTERVIEW, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PAIRED AND INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS SHOWED PRE/POST DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PARTICIPATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS (P < 0.01). QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE MAIN THEMES: (1) INCREASED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES, (2) BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BOTH IN/OUT OF SCHOOL, AND (3) IMPACT ON PERSONAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT URBAN CLASSROOMS SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO DAILY STUDENT PA AND ALSO CAN BE STRESS RELIEVING, FUN, CALMING, AND EASY TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. 2020 11 970 25 EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED WHETHER A YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION INFLUENCED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD. FORTY-NINE PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE = 10.50 YEARS) WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE OR A CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WERE GIVEN THE VISUAL PURSUIT TEST AND DETERMINATION TEST PRIOR TO AND AFTER AN EIGHT-WEEK EXERCISE INTERVENTION (TWICE PER WEEK, 40 MIN PER SESSION) OR A CONTROL INTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCURACY RATE AND REACTION TIME OF THE TWO TESTS WERE OBSERVED OVER TIME IN THE EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA EXERCISES CAN BE COMPLEMENTARY TO BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION AND INHIBITION PROBLEMS. SCHOOLS AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES FOR MAXIMIZING THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CHILDREN WITH ADHD CAN ENGAGE IN STRUCTURED YOGA EXERCISES. 2017 12 1474 13 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. A SPECIALLY DESIGNED INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS OVER A PERIOD OF TWO ACADEMIC YEARS. DESPITE LOW NUMBERS (SIX IN EACH ARM), CONSISTENCY AND MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS MAKE THE FINDINGS SIGNIFICANT. PARENTAL PARTICIPATION, ALLOWING FIRM GUIDANCE TO BE GIVEN TO EACH CHILD, RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMITATION AND OTHER SKILLS, AND IN BEHAVIOR AT HOME AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT GUIDED IMITATION OF THERAPIST BODY POSITIONS STIMULATED MIRROR NEURON ACTIVATION, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SENSE OF SELF. 2010 13 1884 30 REDUCING STRESS IN SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS THROUGH MINDFUL YOGA. INTRODUCTION: SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN REPORT MUCH STRESS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS A PROGRAM OF AWARENESS-BASED PRACTICES EFFECTIVE WITH ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING THROUGH YOGA WITH SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS, ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION, AND EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES. METHOD: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP MET 1 HOUR A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AND COMPLETED 10 MINUTES OF DAILY HOMEWORK. RESULTS: SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REGULATION INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO REPORT GREATER APPRAISAL OF STRESS (P < .01) AND GREATER FREQUENCY OF COPING (P < .05). HOMEWORK ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTED STRESS. DISCUSSION: CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS MAY ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF STRESSORS IN ITSELF INCREASED STRESS, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS OR RELATED TO COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN MAY DIFFER FROM MINDFULNESS IN ADULTS AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2012 14 1893 30 RELAXATION RESPONSE-BASED YOGA IMPROVES FUNCTIONING IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE TO DEVELOP AND OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A NOVEL MOVEMENT-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE APPROACH FOR CHILDREN WITH AN AUTISM-SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). DESIGN: A WITHIN-SUBJECT ANALYSIS COMPARING PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON TWO STANDARD MEASURES OF CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WAS USED. SETTINGS AND LOCATION: THE INTERVENTION AND DATA ANALYSIS OCCURRED AT A TERTIARY CARE, MEDICAL SCHOOL TEACHING HOSPITAL. SUBJECTS: TWENTY-FOUR (24) CHILDREN AGED 3-16 YEARS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF AN ASD COMPRISED THE STUDY GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK MULTIMODAL YOGA, DANCE, AND MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM BASED ON THE RELAXATION RESPONSE (RR) WAS DEVELOPED AND EXAMINED. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE STUDY OUTCOME WAS MEASURED USING THE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN, SECOND EDITION (BASC-2) AND THE ABERRANT BEHAVIORAL CHECKLIST (ABC). RESULTS: ROBUST CHANGES WERE FOUND ON THE BASC-2, PRIMARILY FOR 5-12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON THE ATYPICALITY SCALE OF THE BASC-2, WHICH MEASURES SOME OF THE CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: A MOVEMENT-BASED, MODIFIED RR PROGRAM, INVOLVING YOGA AND DANCE, SHOWED EFFICACY IN TREATING BEHAVIORAL AND SOME CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, PARTICULARLY FOR LATENCY-AGE CHILDREN. 2011 15 955 26 EFFECTS OF A KUNDALINI YOGA PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE YOUR OWN GREATNESS AFFIRMED (YOGA) FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERS YOGA TO URBAN INNER-CITY SCHOOLS WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING PRACTICAL BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AT HIGH RISK OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. A 10-WEEK YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERED 1 TO 2 TIMES PER WEEK WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 3 SCHOOLS IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF THE PROGRAM ON STUDENT STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. METHODS: THIRTY CHILDREN WERE ADMINISTERED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE, AND THE RESILIENCE SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM. AFTER THE PROGRAM, INFORMAL QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH SCHOOL TEACHERS, YOGA TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED STUDENTS STRESS (P < 0.05), POSITIVE AFFECT (P < 0.05), AND RESILIENCE (P < 0.001). THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS INDICATED THAT STUDENTS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND YOGA TEACHERS ALL FOUND THE PROGRAM TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENTS' WELL-BEING. CONCLUSION: TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE STUDENTS IN LOW-INCOME URBAN SCHOOLS WITH BEHAVIORAL SKILLS THAT WILL PROTECT AGAINST RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. 2018 16 1709 23 PEACEFUL PLAY YOGA: SERENITY AND BALANCE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND THEIR PARENTS. CHILDREN WITH A CANCER DIAGNOSIS EXPERIENCE SYMPTOM DISTRESS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, BECAUSE OF THE DISEASE AND ITS TREATMENT. PARENTS EXPERIENCE STRESS AND ANXIETY BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE DISEASE AS WELL AS THE SUFFERING OF THEIR CHILDREN. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION THAT HAS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS IN HEALTHY CHILDREN AND HEALTHY AND CHRONICALLY ILL ADULTS. ON AN INPATIENT HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY UNIT, 11 CHILDREN AGED 6 TO 12 YEARS, 5 ADOLESCENTS AGED 13 TO 18 YEARS, AND 33 PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN A SINGLE YOGA SESSION TAILORED TO THE NEEDS AND ABILITIES OF THE PATIENTS AND PARENTS. SENSE OF WELL-BEING PRE- AND POSTCLASS WAS MEASURED WITH THE SPIELBERGER STATE ANXIETY SCALE. CHILDREN HAD NORMAL ANXIETY SCORES PRECLASS THAT DID NOT CHANGE. ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ANXIETY SCORES, AND ALL COHORTS GAVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT YOGA IS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION FOR THIS POPULATION AND IS BENEFICIAL TO ADOLESCENTS AND PARENTS. 2010 17 2818 26 YOGA TRAINING IN JUNIOR PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN HAS AN IMPACT ON PHYSICAL SELF-PERCEPTIONS AND PROBLEM-RELATED BEHAVIOR. THE PRESENT PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING, AS COMPARED TO PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING, ON MOTOR AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT, AND ANXIETY-RELATED BEHAVIOR IN JUNIOR PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. TWENTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 8.4 (+/-1.4) YEARS COMPLETED EITHER YOGA OR PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS OUTSIDE OF REGULAR SCHOOL CLASS TIME. BOTH FORMS OF TRAINING WERE DELIVERED IN AN INDIVIDUALIZED AND CHILD-ORIENTED MANNER. THE TYPE OF TRAINING DID NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN MOVEMENT AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION OUTCOMES. IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT, SIGNIFICANT GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE REVEALED ONLY FOR PERCEIVED MOVEMENT SPEED SUCH THAT YOGA TRAINING RESULTED IN PERCEPTIONS OF BEING SLOWER WHILE PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING RESULTED IN PERCEPTIONS OF MOVING FASTER. ANALYSIS OF ANXIETY RELATED OUTCOMES REVEALED SIGNIFICANT GROUP EFFECTS ONLY FOR AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR AND COPING STRATEGIES. AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR INCREASED FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING, BUT DECREASED FOLLOWING PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING. IN ADDITION, FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING, CHILDREN SHOWED AN INCREASED USE OF DIVERGENT COPING STRATEGIES WHEN FACING PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS WHILE AFTER PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING CHILDREN DEMONSTRATED A DECREASE IN USE OF DIVERGENT COPING STRATEGIES. CHANGES IN OVERALL PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT SCORES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING. IN CONTRAST, FOLLOWING PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING INCREASED PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH DECREASES IN AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR. IN SUM, EXPOSURE TO YOGA OR PHYSICAL SKILL TRAINING APPEARS TO RESULT IN DISTINCT EFFECTS FOR SPECIFIC DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL SELF-CONCEPT AND ANXIETY-RELATED BEHAVIOR. FURTHER STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE RIGOROUS METHODOLOGIES ARE REQUIRED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS REPORTED HERE. WITH RESPECT TO FUTURE STUDIES, WE ADDRESS POTENTIAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SPECIFIC FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A SAMPLE OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. 2016 18 1463 28 INFLUENCE OF YOGA-BASED PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE AND SELF-EFFICACY IN SCHOOL CHILDREN. SELECTIVE ATTENTION AND EFFICACY ARE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF SCHOLASTIC PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL CHILDREN. WHILE ATTEMPTS ARE BEING MADE TO INTRODUCE NEW METHODS TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EITHER AS PART OF CURRICULAR OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOLS, THE SUCCESS RATES ARE MINIMAL. HENCE, THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE AND SELF-EFFICACY IN SCHOOL CHILDREN. TWO HUNDRED TEN SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH AGES RANGING FROM 11 TO 16 YEARS (MEAN AGE +/- SD; 13.7 +/- 0.8 YEARS) SATISFYING THE INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RECRUITED FOR THE 10-DAY YOGA PROGRAM. AN EQUAL NUMBER OF AGE-MATCHED PARTICIPANTS (N = 210; MEAN +/- SD; 13.1 +/- 0.8 YEARS) WERE SELECTED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR ATTENTION AND PERFORMANCE AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF 10 DAYS USING TRAIL MAKING TASK (TMT) A AND B, AND SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED HIGHER SELF-EFFICACY AND IMPROVED PERFORMANCE AFTER 10 DAYS OF YOGA INTERVENTION. THE PERFORMANCE IN TMT-A AND -B OF THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS WITH A REDUCTION IN TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE THE TASK AND A NUMBER OF WRONG ATTEMPTS COMPARED WITH CONTROL GROUP. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE ENHANCES SELF-EFFICACY AND PROCESSING SPEED WITH FINE MOTOR COORDINATION, VISUAL-MOTOR INTEGRATION, VISUAL PERCEPTION, PLANNING ABILITY, AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. 2016 19 1250 23 FEASIBILITY STUDY: THE EFFECT OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED WITH CANCER. PURPOSE: TO DESCRIBE THE EFFECT OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA ON CHILD AND PARENTAL REPORTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED WITH ONCOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES. METHODS: SIX CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN 5 YOGA SESSIONS OVER 2 MONTHS. THE PEDSQL 4.0 WAS ADMINISTERED TO EACH CHILD AND PARTICIPATING PARENT/CAREGIVERS AT BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE WILCOXON NONPARAMETRIC RANK TEST MEASURED INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES OVER TIME. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (P < .05) WERE FOUND IN CHILD PERCEPTION OF GROSS MOTOR FUNCTION. CONCLUSION: THESE FEASIBILITY STUDY DATA SUGGEST THAT THERAPEUTIC YOGA POSITIVELY AFFECTED CHILD PERCEPTION OF GROSS MOTOR FUNCTION MEASURED ON THE PEDSQL 4.0. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED, INCLUDING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL AND WITH A LARGER NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, TO CLARIFY AND CONFIRM THE EFFECT OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA. 2011 20 621 38 DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A SCHOOL-BASED SHORT DURATION INTEGRATED CLASSROOM YOGA MODULE: A PILOT STUDY DESIGN. BACKGROUND: THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS PROVEN TO HAVE PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN. DESPITE THIS MANY SCHOOLS DO NOT INCLUDE YOGA IN THEIR DAILY SCHEDULE. THE REASONS CITED ARE LACK OF TIME AND RESOURCES. TO OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SHORT DURATION INTEGRATED CLASSROOM YOGA MODULE. THE DESIGN GUIDELINES WERE THAT IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PRACTICE IN THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND THAT IT COULD BE LED BY THE CLASS TEACHER. IN THIS WAY THE MODULE WOULD OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF BOTH TIME AND RESOURCE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY HAD TWO MAIN PHASES. IN THE FIRST PHASE, SELECTED ICYM PRACTICES BASED ON THE LITERATURE REVIEW WERE VALIDATED BY 21 SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS USING LAWHSE'S CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) FORMULA. IN THE SECOND PHASE, A PILOT STUDY USING A PAIRED SAMPLE PREPOST MEASUREMENT DESIGN WAS CARRIED OUT ON 49 HIGH SCHOOL CHILDREN. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2019. THE INTERVENTION PERIOD WAS 1 MONTH, AND THE TEST VARIABLES WERE PHYSICAL FITNESS, COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, SELF-ESTEEM, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTIC. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST WAS THE ANALYSIS TOOL AND THE SOFTWARE USED WAS THE STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCE VERSION 26. RESULTS: IN THE LAWSHE'S CVR ANALYSIS, 17 OUT OF THE 24 PRACTICES TESTED WERE RATED BY EXPERTS AS ESSENTIAL AS WAS THE OVERALL MODULE (CVR SCORE >/=0.429). IN THE PILOT STUDY, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE POSTMEAN SCORES COMPARED TO PREMEAN SCORES, FOR ALL THE 4 EUROFIT PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING BATTERY TESTS (P < 0.02), ALL THE THREE SCORES OF THE STROOP COLOR-WORD NAMING TASK (P < 0.001) AND THE ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE (P < 0.008). CONCLUSION: ICYM WAS VALIDATED AND FOUND FEASIBLE BY THE PRESENT STUDY. IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PHYSICAL FITNESS, COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, AND SELF-ESTEEM VARIABLES. HOWEVER, A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WITH A LONGER INTERVENTION PERIOD IS NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN THE PRESENT STUDY. 2021