1 943 123 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS: A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE. TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN CHINESE ADULTS. METHODS. 173 ADULTS (AGED 52.0 +/- 7.5 YEARS) WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 87) OR THE WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 86). 19 DROPPED OUT FROM THE STUDY. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGES IN CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE (RESTING HEART RATE (HR) AND MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO2MAX)), MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE (CURL-UP AND PUSH-UP TESTS), AND LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY (THE MODIFIED BACK-SAVER SIT-AND-REACH (MBS) TEST). RESULTS. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, THE YOGA GROUP ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN VO2MAX (P < 0.01), CURL-UP (P < 0.05) AND PUSH-UP (P < 0.001) TESTS, AND THE MBS LEFT AND RIGHT LEG TESTS (BOTH P < 0.001) IN BOTH GENDERS. SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS ALSO FOUND FOR RESTING HR BETWEEN GROUPS IN WOMEN (P < 0.05) BUT NOT IN MEN. FURTHER ANALYSIS COMPARING PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN YOUNGER AND OLDER SUBGROUPS YIELDED SIMILAR FINDINGS, EXCEPT THAT THE OLDER PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP FAILED TO IMPROVE RESTING HR OR THE CURL-UP TEST VERSUS CONTROL. ADHERENCE (89%) AND ATTENDANCE (94%) WERE HIGH. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSION. A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION HAS FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN CHINESE ADULTS. 2015 2 404 34 BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING AND PHYSICAL FITNESS IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS. THERE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY LITTLE LONGITUDINAL CONTROLLED INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS, DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION IN THIS FORM OF EXERCISE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING ON GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS. YOUNG HEALTHY ADULTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA TRAINING (N = 10, 29 +/- 6 YEARS, 24 SESSIONS IN 8 WEEKS) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 11, 26 +/- 7 YEARS). EACH YOGA TRAINING SESSION CONSISTED OF 90-MINUTE STANDARDIZED SUPERVISED POSTURES PERFORMED IN A HEATED AND HUMIDIFIED STUDIO. ISOMETRIC DEADLIFT STRENGTH, HANDGRIP STRENGTH, LOWER BACK/HAMSTRING AND SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY, RESTING HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE, MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (TREADMILL), AND LEAN AND FAT MASS (DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY) WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. YOGA SUBJECTS EXHIBITED INCREASED DEADLIFT STRENGTH, SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED LOWER BACK/HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY, INCREASED SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY, AND MODESTLY DECREASED BODY FAT COMPARED WITH CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN HANDGRIP STRENGTH, CARDIOVASCULAR MEASURES, OR MAXIMAL AEROBIC FITNESS. IN SUMMARY, THIS SHORT-TERM YOGA TRAINING PROTOCOL PRODUCED BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN MUSCULOSKELETAL FITNESS THAT WERE SPECIFIC TO THE TRAINING STIMULUS. 2013 3 1760 35 POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PHYSICAL AND RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN HEALTHY INACTIVE MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE. CONTEXT: YOGA IMPROVES PHYSICAL AND RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN HEALTHY INACTIVE MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF 8 WEEKS OF ASANA AND ASANA WITH PRANAYAMA LESSONS IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THE INFLUENCE OF TWO DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON PHYSICAL AND RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN HEALTHY INACTIVE MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 28 PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE: 52.7 YEARS) WERE DIVIDED INTO A YOGA ASANA (YA) GROUP AND YA WITH PRANAYAMA (YAP) GROUP. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A 70-MIN SESSION ONCE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. THE YA GROUP PRACTICED BASIC ASANA WITHOUT SPECIFIC BREATHING INSTRUCTIONS, WHILE THE YAP GROUP PRACTICED BASIC ASANA WITH SPECIFIC BREATHING INSTRUCTIONS (PRANAYAMA). RESPIRATORY FUNCTION WAS MEASURED WITH AN AUTOSPIROMETER. PHYSICAL FUNCTION ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE 30-S CHAIR STAND TEST AND UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITY FLEXIBILITY. ALL TESTS WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 8 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: CHANGES IN SCORES WERE ANALYZED WITH THE PAIRED T-TEST FOR EACH GROUP. PRE-POST RESULTS WERE COMPARED FOR ALL THE MEASURED VALUES. P < 0.05 WAS CONSIDERED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL AND OVERALL RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS AFTER THE 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. HOWEVER, THE MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE AND LOWER EXTREMITY FLEXIBILITY IMPROVED ONLY IN THE YAP GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION FOR HEALTHY INACTIVE MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE IMPROVED THE OVERALL RESPIRATORY AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS, AND THE INCLUSION OF PRANAYAMA HAD THE ADDED BENEFIT OF IMPROVING INSPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH AND GLOBAL BODY FLEXIBILITY. 2019 4 2070 30 THE EFFECT OF A HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY. PURPOSE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF A 7-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON HAMSTRINGS FLEXIBILITY USING A DIGITAL GONIOMETER. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY WILL INCREASE IN A YOUNG HEALTHY ADULT POPULATION. METHODS: THIRTY-ONE COLLEGE-AGED MALES AND FEMALES (MAGE= 21 +/- 2.62) YEARS PARTICIPATED IN 110 MINUTES TWICE PER WEEK FOR A 7-WEEK PROGRESSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION. PRE AND POST-TEST MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN TO DETERMINE HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT LEG USING A DIGITAL GONIOMETER. RESULTS: A PAIRED SAMPLES T-TEST INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PRE AND POST-TEST ON HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY (P < .05). RESULTS FOR THE RIGHT LEG PRE-TEST (T(30) = -6.64, P <0.05, 95% CI (-6.14, -3.25), D = 0.77. P < 0.05 AS WELL AS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE LEFT PRE AND POST-ROM (T(30) = -6.93, P <0.05, 95% CI (-2.97, -6.79), D = 0.52, P < 0.05 INDICATED AN IMPROVEMENT AFTER THE INTERVENTION. AVERAGE RANGE OF MOTION INCREASE WAS 4 DEGREES IN BOTH LEGS. CONCLUSION: HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY CAN BE IMPROVED WITH A PROGRESSIVE 7-WEEK HATHA YOGA SESSION AND MAY BE USED AS A MODALITY TO IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY AND FUNCTION IN ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING AS WELL AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. 2021 5 1514 40 IS WEEKLY FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE SUFFICIENT? PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AMONG HEALTHY NOVICE WOMEN. BENEFICIAL PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE WELL-SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL DATA. HOWEVER, WHETHER WEEKLY FREQUENCY OF TRAINING IS SUFFICIENT TO EVOKE POSITIVE CHANGES, IS STILL AN OPEN QUESTION. THE PRESENT INTERVENTION STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF 10 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF BEGINNER LEVEL HATHA YOGA WITH RESPECT TO INDICATORS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS. 82 YOUNG WOMEN (MEAN AGE OF 22.0 +/- 3.83 YEARS) PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. THE YOGA GROUP (N = 49) ATTENDED A YOGA COURSE CONSISTING OF 10 SESSIONS (1.5 H EACH) ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 33) DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION. BMI, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, BALANCE (ONE-LEG-STAND TEST WITH OPEN AND CLOSED EYES, FUNCTIONAL REACH TEST), FLEXIBILITY (SIDE BEND TEST, MODIFIED SIT AND REACH TEST) CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH (PLANK TEST) AS WELL AS RESTING HEART RATE (HR), AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) WERE ASSESSED 1 WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER THE COURSE. BOTH FREQUENTIST AND BAYESIAN ANALYSIS SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED ALSO INCREASED CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH. NO CHANGES WITH RESPECT TO BMI, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, RESTING HR AND HRV WERE FOUND. NINETY MINUTE BEGINNER LEVEL HATHA YOGA CLASSES WERE CHARACTERIZED BY 93.39 HR AND 195 KCAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION ON AVERAGE. THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT WEEKLY SETTING OF A 10-SESSION LONG HATHA YOGA TRAINING LEADS TO IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY AND CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH AMONG HEALTHY YOUNG WOMEN. HOWEVER, FOR CHANGES IN BMI, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, RESTING HR AND HRV LONGER, AND/OR MORE INTENSE INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED. 2021 6 2823 38 YOGA VERSUS AEROBIC ACTIVITY: EFFECTS ON SPIROMETRY RESULTS AND MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE. OBJECTIVE: TO CLARIFY WHETHER, IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, PRACTICING YOGA CAN MODIFY MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE AND SPIROMETRIC INDICES WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRACTICE OF AEROBIC EXERCISE. MEYHODS: A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. A TOTAL OF 31 HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS WERE ALLOCATED TO PRACTICE AEROBIC EXERCISE (N = 15) OR TO PRACTICE YOGA (N = 16). THOSE IN THE FIRST GROUP SERVED AS CONTROLS AND ENGAGED IN AEROBIC EXERCISE FOR 45-60 MINUTES, TWICE A WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS. THOSE IN THE SECOND GROUP PRACTICED SELECTED YOGIC TECHNIQUES, ALSO IN SESSIONS OF 45-60 MINUTES, TWICE A WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS. FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN ONE SECOND AND MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE THREE MONTHS OF TRAINING. RESULTS: NO SIGNIFICANT ALTERATIONS WERE SEEN IN THE SPIROMETRIC INDICES. A SLIGHT, ALTHOUGH NOT SIGNIFICANT, IMPROVEMENT IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WAS SEEN IN BOTH GROUPS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, SEEN IN BOTH GENDERS, BETWEEN THE ABSOLUTE DELTA (FINAL VALUE MINUS BASELINE VALUE) OF MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE FOR THE GROUP PRACTICING YOGA AND THAT OBTAINED FOR THE GROUP ENGAGING IN AEROBIC EXERCISE (MALES: 19.5 CM H2O VERSUS 2.8 CM H2O, P = 0.05; FEMALES: 20 CM H2O VERSUS 3.9 CM H2O, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: NEITHER YOGA NOR AEROBIC EXERCISE PROVIDED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE AFTER THREE MONTHS. HOWEVER, THE ABSOLUTE VARIATION IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WAS GREATER AMONG THOSE PRACTICING YOGA. 2006 7 727 33 EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN INDIA BUT LESS IN THE CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED FOR 1-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE AT THE YOGA CENTER. EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE NONREGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING THE COURSE. PHYSICAL HEALTH PARAMETERS CONSIDERED FOR ASSESSMENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA COURSE WERE PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS, MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2 MAX) USING BRUCE TREADMILL TEST, FLEXIBILITY, BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS, AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE TEST WERE USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THE AEROBIC CAPACITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD]) FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.001), FORCED EXPIRATION VOLUME AT THE END OF THE FIRST SECOND (P < 0.001) AS WELL AS PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (P = 0.04). THE MEAN (SD) FLEXIBILITY SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001). SIMILARLY, THE ENDURANCE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (SD) VO2 MAX (< 0.001) AND TREADMILL TIME (P < 0.001). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN BODY COMPOSITION AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DEMONSTRATED THE IMPROVEMENT IN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY. 2021 8 53 29 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND CLINICAL PILATES TRAINING ON WALKING, COGNITION, RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND CLINICAL PILATES TRAINING ON WALKING, RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH, COGNITION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF TWO POPULAR EXERCISE METHODS IN PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (PWMS). METHODS: TWENTY-EIGHT PWMS (PILATES GROUP = 16, YOGA GROUP = 12) RECEIVED THE PROGRAM ONCE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS IN ADDITION TO HOME EXERCISES. AT BASELINE AND THE END OF THE TRAINING, PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT ASSESSMENTS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE WALKING SPEED, MOBILITY, BALANCE CONFIDENCE, RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH, COGNITION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN MOBILITY (P = 0.482), PERCEIVED WALKING QUALITY (P = 0.325), RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH (MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE: P = 0.263, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE: P = 0.866), AND COGNITION (SYMBOL DIGIT MODALITIES TEST: P = 0.324, CALIFORNIA VERBAL LEARNING TEST-II: P = 0.514, BRIEF VISUOSPATIAL MEMORY TEST-REVISED: P = 0.279) BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. IMPROVEMENTS WERE HIGHER IN BALANCE CONFIDENCE (P = 0.006), WALKING SPEED (P = 0.004), AND QUALITY OF LIFE (P = 0.019) IN THE CLINICAL PILATES GROUP COMPARED TO THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS IN WALKING AND RESPIRATORY ASPECTS IN PWMS WHO RECEIVED YOGA AND CLINICAL PILATES TRAINING. PILATES TRAINING WAS SUPERIOR IN IMPROVING WALKING SPEED, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE COMPARED TO YOGA TRAINING. 2021 9 2152 26 THE EFFECTS OF SELECTED ASANAS IN IYENGAR YOGA ON FLEXIBILITY: PILOT STUDY. IN RECENT YEARS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS GAINED POPULARITY AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND EXERCISE, AND HAS BEEN SAID TO IMPROVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A SIX WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION ON FLEXIBILITY. N = 16 LOW TO MODERATELY ACTIVE FEMALES (52.37 +/- 7.79 YEARS) ATTENDED IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE FOR A TOTAL OF 6 WEEKS, CONSISTING OF ONE 90 MIN SESSION PER WEEK. LUMBAR AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY WERE ASSESSED PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION USING A STANDARD SIT AND REACH TEST. THE RESULTS SHOW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FLEXIBILITY, INDICATING 6 WEEKS OF SINGLE SESSION YOGA TRAINING MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING ERECTOR SPINAE AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY. THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING THAT MUCH OF THE POPULATION FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ATTEND MORE THAN ONE SESSION A WEEK INTO THEIR TRAINING SCHEDULE. 2014 10 2825 29 YOGA VERSUS HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM IN CHILDREN WITH ENTHESITIS RELATED ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE AIM WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM ON LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, PAIN, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH ENTHESITIS RELATED ARTHRITIS (ERA). METHODS: TWENTY-ONE CHILDREN WITH ERA WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AS YOGA (N = 11) AND HOME EXERCISE (N = 10). YOGA GROUP PERFORMED SUPERVISED YOGA EXERCISES TWICE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS. HOME EXERCISE GROUP PERFORMED VIDEO-BASED EXERCISES FOR THE SAME PERIOD. PAIN IN REST AND ACTIVITY, LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND FOLLOWING EIGHT WEEKS. RESULTS: THE GROUPS WERE SIMILAR AT BASELINE (P > 0.05). ALL THE PARAMETERS, EXCEPT PARENT REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN YOGA GROUP (P < 0.05), WHERE ONLY STAIR CLIMB TEST TIMES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN HOME EXERCISE GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA SEEMS PROMISING FOR IMPROVING LOWER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL STATUS, PAIN, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION IN REHABILITATION PROGRAMS OF CHILDREN WITH ERA. 2021 11 771 32 EFFECT OF YOGA AND AEROBICS EXERCISE ON SLEEP QUALITY IN WOMEN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISE (RUNNING ON A TREADMILL) ON THE SLEEP QUALITY IN WOMEN WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 39 DIABETIC WOMEN WERE SELECTED FROM SEMNAN CITY WITH THE MEAN AGE OF 46.85+/-3.35 YEARS, WEIGHT OF 69.79+/-17.18 KG, HEIGHT OF 155.03+/-5.00, BMI OF 29.64+/-5.00 KG/M(2) WHO HAD A BACKGROUND OF DIABETES FOR 6.46+/-2.69 YEARS. THEY WERE THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO YOGA EXERCISE (N=15), AEROBIC EXERCISE (N=13), AND CONTROL GROUP (N=11). THE EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED FOR 12 WEEKS, THREE SESSIONS PER EACH WEEK. IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE SLEEP QUALITY, THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WAS USED. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED BY NON-PARAMETRIC WILCOXON AND KRUSKAL-WALLIS TEST AT SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL OF P<0.05. RESULTS: OVERALL SCORE OF SLEEP QUALITY IMPROVED AFTER SIX (P=0.001) AND 12 (P=0.001) WEEKS OF YOGA EXERCISE. ALSO, SIGNIFICANT EFFECT WAS OBSERVED AFTER 6 WEEKS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE (P=0.039). HOWEVER, THE POSITIVE EFFECT WAS DIMINISHED TO UNDER SIGNIFICANT LEVELS AFTER 12 WEEKS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE (P=0.154). KRUSKAL-WALLIS TEST SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND AEROBIC GROUPS AFTER 12 WEEKS OF EXERCISE (P=0.002). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN CONTROL GROUPS IN ALL SITUATION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA EXERCISE IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING THE SLEEP QUALITY IN COMPARISON WITH THE SAME COURSE OF AEROBIC EXERCISE IN WOMEN SUFFERING FROM DIABETES TYPE 2. THUS, YOGA EXERCISE CAN BE SUGGESTED TO THESE PATIENTS. 2017 12 387 39 BENEFITS OF THAI YOGA ON PHYSICAL MOBILITY AND LOWER LIMB MUSCLE STRENGTH IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: ALTHOUGH THAI YOGA (TY) IS REPORTED TO IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS FOR THE ELDERLY, NO STUDY HAS YET CARRIED OUT THE EFFECT OF TY PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL MOBILITY AND LOWER-LIMB MUSCLE STRENGTH IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE OLDER WOMEN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT DESIGN, TWENTY-TWO SEDENTARY WOMEN WITH A BMI >/= 23 KG/M(2), AGED 62 +/- 1 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A TY GROUP FOR 60 MIN, 3 TIMES A WEEK OR TO A "NO EXERCISE" CONTROL (CON) GROUP. SIT AND REACH (SRT), FUNCTIONAL REACH (FRT) AND 30-S CHAIR STAND (CST-30), 8-FOOT UP AND GO (8UGT), 6-MIN WALK (6MWT)) AND LOWER-LIMB MUSCLE STRENGTH WERE MEASURED AT THE BEGINNING, 4, AND 8 WEEKS. RESULTS: AT WEEK 4, A SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN GROUPS WAS OBTAINED IN CST-30, 8UGT, AND 6MWT. AT WEEK 8, FRT, 8UGT, 6MWT AND KNEE FLEXOR AND EXTENSOR MUSCLE STRENGTH WERE IMPROVED IN THE TY OVER THE CON. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS FOUND IN ALL VARIABLES WITHIN THE TY, BUT NO CHANGE WAS OBSERVED IN THE CON. CONCLUSION: AN 8-WEEK TY PROGRAM APPEARS TO PROVIDE BENEFICIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL MOBILITY IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE OLDER WOMEN. 2021 13 531 30 COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF 8 WEEKS AEROBIC AND YOGA TRAINING ON AMBULATORY FUNCTION, FATIGUE AND MOOD STATUS IN MS PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS A DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM THAT RESULTS IN MANY SYMPTOMS INCLUDING MOBILITY LIMITATION AND FATIGUE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: THIRTY-ONE MS PATIENTS, ALL FEMALE WITH MEAN OF AGE OF 36.75 YEARS AND EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCALE SCORES (EDSS) OF 1.0 TO 4.0 WERE RECRUITED. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THE THREE GROUPS: TREADMILL TRAINING, YOGA OR CONTROL GROUPS. TREADMILL TRAINING AND YOGA PRACTICE CONSISTED OF 8 WEEKS (24 SESSIONS, THRICE WEEKLY). THE CONTROL GROUP FOLLOWED THEIR OWN ROUTINE TREATMENT PROGRAM. BALANCE, SPEED AND ENDURANCE OF WALKING, FATIGUE, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY WERE MEASURED BY BERG BALANCE SCORES, TIME FOR 10M WALK AND DISTANCE FOR A TWO MINUTE WALK, FATIGUE SEVERITY SCALE (FFS), BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) AND BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY (BAI), RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: COMPARISON OF RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTIONS PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BALANCE SCORE, WALKING ENDURANCE, FFS SCORE, BDI SCORE AND BAI SCORE IN THE TREADMILL TRAINING GROUP AND YOGA GROUP. HOWEVER, 10M WALK TIME DECREASED IN THE TREADMILL TRAINING GROUP BUT DID NOT SHOW ANY CLEAR CHANGE IN THE YOGA GROUP. MOREOVER, THE ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TREADMILL TRAINING GROUP AND YOGA GROUP FOR BAI SCORE. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT TREADMILL TRAINING AND YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED AMBULATORY FUNCTION, FATIGUE AND MOOD STATUS IN THE INDIVIDUALS WITH MILD TO MODERATE MS. 2013 14 459 34 CHANGES IN PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WITH IYENGAR YOGA IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK (NCLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG ADULT POPULATION AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) WITH NCLBP. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: SIXTY SUBJECTS WHO FULFILLED THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO IYENGAR YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N = 30) AND CONTROL GROUP (EXERCISE GROUP, N = 30). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED LOW BACK PAIN EVALUATION FORM AND HRQOL-4 QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THEIR INTERVENTION AND AGAIN 4 WEEKS AND 6 MONTH LATER. YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 29 YOGIC POSTURES TRAINING AND EXERCISE GROUP HAD UNDERGONE GENERAL EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR 4 WEEKS. STATISTICS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME, WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL. IN VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 72.81% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 42.50% (P = 0.001). IN HRQOL, YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 86.99% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 67.66% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA PROVIDES BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC BACK PAIN THAN GENERAL EXERCISE. 2014 15 2917 36 [THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON HEALTH RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS IN SCHOOL-AGE ASTHMATIC CHILDREN]. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA EXERCISE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA. THE STUDY EMPLOYED A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN IN WHICH 31 VOLUNTARY CHILDREN (EXERCISE GROUP 16; CONTROL GROUP15) AGED 7 TO 12 YEARS WERE PURPOSIVELY SAMPLED FROM ONE PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN TAIPEI COUNTY. THE YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS PRACTICED BY THE EXERCISE GROUP THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR A CONSECUTIVE 7 WEEK PERIOD. EACH 60-MINUTE YOGA SESSION INCLUDED 10 MINUTES OF WARM-UP AND BREATHING EXERCISES, 40 MINUTES OF YOGA POSTURES, AND 10 MINUTES OF COOL DOWN EXERCISES. FITNESS SCORES WERE ASSESSED AT PRE-EXERCISE (BASELINE) AND AT THE SEVENTH AND NINTH WEEK AFTER INTERVENTION COMPLETION. A TOTAL OF 30 SUBJECTS (EXERCISE GROUP 16; CONTROL GROUP 14) COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS INCLUDED: 1. COMPARED WITH CHILDREN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, THE STUDY SUBJECTS (N = 30) ALL FELL BELOW THE 50TH PERCENTILE IN ALL FIVE PHYSICAL FITNESS ITEMS OF INTEREST. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN SCORES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE (I.E., PRE-EXERCISE) FOR ALL FIVE FITNESS ITEMS. 2. RESEARCH FOUND A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXERCISE HABIT AFTER SCHOOL AND MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE AMONG ASTHMATIC CHILDREN. 3. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THE EXERCISE GROUP SHOWED FAVORABLE OUTCOMES IN TERMS OF FLEXIBILITY AND MUSCULAR ENDURANCE. SUCH FAVORABLE OUTCOMES REMAINED EVIDENT EVEN AFTER ADJUSTING FOR AGE, DURATION OF DISEASE AND STEROID USE, VALUES FOR WHICH WERE UNEQUALLY DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE. 4. THERE WAS A TENDENCY FOR ALL ITEM-SPECIFIC FITNESS SCORES TO INCREASE OVER TIME IN THE EXERCISE GROUP. THE GEE ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT YOGA EXERCISE INDEED IMPROVED BMI, FLEXIBILITY, AND MUSCULAR ENDURANCE. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF SELF-PRACTICE AT HOME, YOGA EXERCISE CONTINUED TO IMPROVE BMI, FLEXIBILITY, MUSCULAR STRENGTH, AND CARDIOPULMONARY FITNESS. 2009 16 2707 47 YOGA IS AS GOOD AS STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS OUTCOMES: RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: DESPITE YOGA'S POPULARITY, FEW CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE EMPLOYED RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXPLORE ITS FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS COMPARED WITH MORE ESTABLISHED FORMS OF EXERCISE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA WITH THE CONVENTIONAL STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS. METHODS: SEDENTARY HEALTHY ADULTS (N = 118; M AGE = 62.0) PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WEEK (THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 1 HOUR) RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, WHICH CONSISTED OF A HATHA YOGA GROUP (N = 61) AND A STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISE GROUP (N = 57). STANDARDIZED FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TESTS ASSESSING BALANCE, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND MOBILITY WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: A REPEATED MEASURES MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT TIME EFFECT FOR MEASURES OF BALANCE [F(3,18) = 4.88, P < .01, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .45], STRENGTH [F(2,19) = 15.37, P < .001, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .62], FLEXIBILITY [F(4,17) = 8.86, P < .001, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .68], AND MOBILITY [F(2,19) = 8.54, P < .002, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .47]. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MEASURES OF BALANCE (LEFT-RIGHT LEG AND FOUR SQUARE STEP); STRENGTH (CHAIR STANDS AND ARM CURLS); FLEXIBILITY (BACK SCRATCH AND SIT-AND-REACH); AND MOBILITY (GAIT SPEED AND 8-FEET UP AND GO), WITH PARTIAL ETA(2) RANGING FROM .05 TO .47. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS JUST AS EFFECTIVE AS STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXAMINE FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN COMPARISON WITH STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN SEDENTARY, HEALTHY, COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. THESE FINDINGS HAVE CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS AS YOGA IS A MORE AMENABLE FORM OF EXERCISE THAN STRENGTHENING EXERCISES AS IT REQUIRES MINIMAL EQUIPMENT AND CAN BE ADAPTED FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LOWER LEVELS OF FUNCTIONING OR DISABILITIES. 2016 17 950 32 EFFECTS OF A CHAIR-YOGA EXERCISES ON STRESS HORMONE LEVELS, DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES, FALLS AND PHYSICAL FITNESS IN INSTITUTIONALIZED OLDER ADULTS. UNLABELLED: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE CHANGES MEDIATED BY EXERCISE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIFE AND FALLS, PHYSICAL FITNESS, SALIVARY CORTISOL AND ALPHA AMYLASE IN OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE GIVERS CENTERS. METHODS: SAMPLE CONSISTED IN 35 WOMEN (83.81 +/- 6.6 YEARS OLD) WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: CHAIR-YOGA EXERCISES GROUP (CY, N = 20) AND CONTROL GROUP (CG, N = 15). ALL SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER 14-WEEKS. CY WAS INVOLVED IN EXERCISE CLASSES TWO TIMES PER WEEK, WHILE THE GC DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY EXERCISE. RESULTS: FEAR OF FALLING DECREASED IN BOTH GROUPS, CORTISOL INCREASED AND ALPHA-AMYLASE DECREASED IN THE CG. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OCCURRED IN PHYSICAL FITNESS OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: CY PRACTICE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PHYSICAL FITNESS SCORES AND STRESS HORMONE LEVELS, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO IMPROVE THE SUBJECT'S PERCEPTION ON THE ABILITY TO PERFORM THE INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIFE. 2016 18 2817 38 YOGA TRAINING IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH ASTHMA. OBJECTIVES: INDIVIDUALS WITH ASTHMA FREQUENTLY SUFFER WITH A DECREASE IN QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE AUTONOMIC FUNCTION IN THE HEALTHY POPULATION AND HAS BEEN USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY TO HELP IMPROVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS DISEASES. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS WHETHER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) IN PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA. DESIGN: NINETEEN (19) FEMALES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP FOR A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION WHILE STILL FOLLOWING GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THEIR PHYSICIAN. ALL SUBJECTS ANSWERED THE ST. GEORGE'S RESPIRATORY QUESTIONNAIRE (SGRQ) TO ASSESS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PERFORMED AN ISOMETRIC HANDGRIP EXERCISE TEST TO ASSESS HRV. RESULTS: BASED ON THE SGRQ, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS (45%, P < 0.05) IN QUALITY OF LIFE WERE OBSERVED WITH THE YOGA TRAINING, WHILE NO CHANGES WERE FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. RESTING HEMODYNAMIC MEASURES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP DECREASED PARASYMPATHETIC MODULATION (HFNU [NORMALIZED UNITS]) PRE- TO POSTINTERVENTION (0.45 +/- 0.60 TO 0.35 +/- 0.06 NU, P<0.05, RESPECTIVELY) IN RESPONSE TO THE ISOMETRIC FOREARM EXERCISE (IFE), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT CHANGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE YOGA GROUP INCREASED SYMPATHETIC (LFNU) (PRE 0.47 +/- 0.07 TO POST 0.60 +/- 0.07 NU, P < 0.05) AND SYMPATHOVAGAL MODULATION (LOGLF/HF) (PRE 4.61 +/- 0.39 TO POST 5.31 +/- 0.44, P < 0.05, RESPECTIVELY) DURING IFE WITH NO CHANGE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA TRAINING IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE ASTHMA AND RESULTED IN DECREASED PARASYMPATHETIC AND INCREASED SYMPATHETIC MODULATION IN RESPONSE TO AN IFE. 2012 19 748 29 EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESIGN: THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY ENROLLED TWO STUDY GROUPS: THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SAHAJA YOGA RESEARCH AND HEALTH CENTER (MEDITATION GROUP) AND THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE MAHATMA GANDHI MISSION HOSPITAL (CONTROL GROUP). RESEARCHERS MEASURED QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. RESULTS: SIXTY-SEVEN (67) PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION GROUP AND 62 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. AT BASELINE, THE MEDITATION GROUP HAD HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) THAN CONTROLS BUT SIMILAR ANXIETY LEVEL (P=0.74) TO CONTROLS. WITHIN-GROUP PRE- VERSUS POST-TREATMENT COMPARISONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE MEDITATION GROUP (P<0.001), WHILE IN CONTROLS, QUALITY OF LIFE DETERIORATED AND THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL WAS GREATER IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MEDITATION REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. 2012 20 1008 41 EFFECTS OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA IN INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND STRESS OF INJURED WORKERS. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF 8 WEEKS OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA TRAINING ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND STRESS LEVEL IN INJURED WORKERS. METHODS: EIGHTEEN MALE AND FEMALE INJURED WORKERS, AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 55 YEARS, PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY. THEY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: AN ADDITIVE HATHA YOGA TRAINING TO ROUTINE INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM GROUP (HYG: N = 9) AND A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO YOGA TRAINING (CG: N = 9). A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS POPULATION BY TWO CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTORS, APPROVED BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST, AND CONDUCTED FOR 1 H, THREE TIMES WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY OF LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRINGS, HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND LUNG CAPACITY AND SCORES OF SENSITIVITY TO STRESS WERE EVALUATED AT THE TIME OF RECRUITMENT AND AFTER 8 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE VALUES OF ALL PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES AND STRESS SCORES WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS AT BASELINE. SIGNIFICANT POST-YOGA IMPROVEMENTS FOR HYG GROUP WERE NOTED IN FLEXIBILITY, HAND GRIP STRENGTH, AND VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.05). IN CONTRAST, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE CG GROUP. STRESS SCORES DID NOT CHANGE AS A RESULT OF HATHA YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSION: AN 8-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA TRAINING EXPERIENCE EXERTED THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY OF LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRINGS, HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND VITAL CAPACITY, BUT NOT ON STRESS LEVEL IN INJURED WORKERS. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT HATHA YOGA CAN BE A BENEFICIAL ADJUNCT TO ROUTINE PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENT IN INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. 2015