1 2162 144 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MINDFUL MEDITATION ON ELDERLY CARE WORKER'S BURNOUT: A CONSORT-COMPLIANT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL MEDITATION AND YOGA ON REDUCING BURNOUT AND STRESS IN CARE WORKERS WHO ASSIST ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS. KNOWING HOW TO REDUCE BURNOUT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT OF CARE WORKERS IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE QUALITY OF CLIENT CARE, WORKER PRODUCTIVITY, AND JOB TURNOVER. PATIENTS AND METHODS: THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 44 CARE WORKERS WHO WORKED FOR ELDERLY CARE FACILITIES IN RURAL FUKUOKA. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE INTERVENTION GROUPS: CONTROL, YOGA, OR MINDFULNESS. IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP, A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR TAUGHT A 60-MINUTE YOGA SESSION EACH WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS. IN THE MINDFULNESS GROUP, AN EXPERIENCED MEDICAL DOCTOR INSTRUCTED A MINDFUL MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR THE SAME LENGTH. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE JAPANESE BURNOUT SCALE (JBS), AND THE RESEARCH TEAM COLLECTED THE LEVEL OF ALPHA-AMYLASE IN SALIVA USING NIPRO: T-110-N PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTIONS. RESULTS: MANOVA WAS PERFORMED WITH EACH INTERVENTION (CONTROL, YOGA, MINDFULNESS) AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE ON THE THREE SUBSCALES OF THE JBS (EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION, DEPERSONALIZATION, AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT) AND A BIOMARKER OF STRESS LEVEL (ALPHA-AMYLASE). THE RESULTS INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF INTERVENTIONS, AND A FOLLOW-UP ANOVA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF INTERVENTIONS ON EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT PRACTICING MINDFUL MEDITATION OR YOGA FOR 60 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS CAN REDUCE CARE WORKERS' BURNOUT. THIS STUDY WAS NOTABLE BECAUSE THE BIOMARKER OF STRESS ALSO IMPROVED. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED AND ENCOURAGED THAT INSTITUTIONS CARING FOR THE ELDERLY POPULATION PROVIDE MINDFUL MEDITATION OR YOGA INTERVENTION TO REDUCE BURNOUT, WHICH BENEFITS NOT ONLY CARE WORKERS BUT ALSO THEIR CLIENTS. 2022 2 2618 37 YOGA FOR SELF-CARE AND BURNOUT PREVENTION AMONG NURSES. THE PROMOTION OF SELF-CARE AND THE PREVENTION OF BURNOUT AMONG NURSES IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON NURSE-SPECIFIC OUTCOMES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT-LEVEL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE SELF-CARE AND REDUCE BURNOUT AMONG NURSES. COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (N = 20), YOGA PARTICIPANTS (N = 20) REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SELF-CARE AS WELL AS LESS EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION AND DEPERSONALIZATION UPON COMPLETION OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. ALTHOUGH THE CONTROL GROUP DEMONSTRATED NO CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE STUDY, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SCORES FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION FOR SELF-CARE (P < .001), MINDFULNESS (P = .028), EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION (P = .008), AND DEPERSONALIZATION (P = .007) OUTCOMES. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED. 2015 3 2127 41 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. OBJECTIVES: RECENT RESEARCH HAS INDICATED CONCERN FOR THE DEGREE OF STRESS AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AMONG UNIVERSITY STAFF. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN ENHANCING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES. METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL AT A BRITISH UNIVERSITY, WE RECRUITED 48 EMPLOYEES AND RANDOMIZED THEM INTO EITHER A YOGA OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP WAS OFFERED SIX WEEKS OF DRU YOGA, COMPRISING ONE 60-MINUTE CLASS PER WEEK. THESE CLASSES WERE OFFERED BY A CERTIFIED DRU YOGA INSTRUCTOR AT LUNCHTIME FROM JANUARY-MARCH 2008. THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO INTERVENTION DURING THIS SIX-WEEK STUDY. BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM MEASUREMENTS OF SELF-REPORTED MOOD AND WELL-BEING WERE SELF-ASSESSED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES - BIPOLAR (POMS-BI) AND THE INVENTORY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES (IPPA). RESULTS: THIS SIX-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED POMS-BI AND IPPA SCORES FOR THE YOGA COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP FOR SEVEN OF EIGHT MEASURES OF MOOD AND WELL-BEING. IN COMPARISON TO THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP AT BASELINE AND THE END OF THE PROGRAM, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED MARKED IMPROVEMENTS IN FEELINGS OF CLEAR-MINDEDNESS, COMPOSURE, ELATION, ENERGY, AND CONFIDENCE. IN ADDITION, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED INCREASED LIFE PURPOSE AND SATISFACTION, AND FEELINGS OF GREATER SELF-CONFIDENCE DURING STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SHOW THAT EVEN A SHORT PROGRAM OF YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR ENHANCING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. WE SUGGEST THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD CONSIDER OFFERING YOGA CLASSES TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. 2011 4 1085 42 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, FATIGUE, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF DIAMOND INDUSTRY: A NEW APPROACH IN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS. BACKGROUND: DIAMOND INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES OFTEN EXPERIENCE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND STRESS, CONTRIBUTING TO A LOW QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA IS AN ANCIENT DISCIPLINE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICE YOGA HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF WORKPLACE YOGA IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND QOL AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 60 PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 84) OR WAITLIST (N = 82) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED ONE HOUR OF YOGA, FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAITLIST GROUP FOLLOWED THEIR DAILY ROUTINES. MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, STRESS, AND QOL WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER THREE MONTHS. RESULTS: ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE EMPLOYEES COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN, PERCEIVED STRESS, FATIGUE, AND QOL DOMAINS AFTER THREE MONTHS COMPARED TO BASELINE. THE WAITLIST GROUP SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF THE MEASURES. IN THE POST SCORES COMPARISON BETWEEN THE GROUPS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: WORKPLACE YOGA FOUND TO BE A USEFUL, COST-EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUES AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. YOGA MAY BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE WORKPLACE AS A WELLNESS PROGRAM AT THE WORKPLACE. 2021 5 893 30 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY, SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN AND METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED AS A SEMIEXPERIMENTAL NONRANDOMIZED STUDY WITH A CONTROL GROUP. FINDINGS: YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DECREASED THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY LEVELS, BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA-BASED TREATMENT CAN BE INCLUDED IN NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN YOUNG ADULTS. 2020 6 2112 34 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT DECADES, SEVERAL MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON YOGA PROVED IT TO BE VERY USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SOME DISEASES. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN LIVING IN ILAM, IRAN. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH PRE-POST TEST. TO COLLECT DATA, THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF DASS-21 (DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE-21) WAS USED. FOR ELIGIBLE SAMPLES, HATHA YOGA EXERCISES AND TRAINING SESSIONS WERE HELD FOR 4 WEEKS (3 TIME/WEEKS; 60-70 MIN EACH) BY A SPECIALIST. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SPSS VERSION 20. RESULTS: 52 WOMEN WITH A MEAN AGE OF 33.5 +/- 6.5 WERE INCLUDED FOR ANALYSIS. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN WOMEN AFTER 12 SESSIONS OF REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE. 2018 7 1701 41 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 8 657 29 EFFECT OF 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVE: TO ANALYZE THE EFFECT OF THE 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' (E.W.M) YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS AND ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF ONE MONTH E.W.M. INTERVENTION AMONG 38 PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE ENROLLED VOLUNTARILY TO BOTH GROUPS, STUDY (N = 16) AND CONTROL (N = 22). FIVE PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE STUDY. THE STATE MINDFULNESS SCALE (SMS) WAS USED TO MEASURE MINDFULNESS. THE ANXIETY INVENTORY BECK (BAI) AND THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI-II) WERE USED TO MEASURE THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, RESPECTIVELY, BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: STUDY GROUP SHOWED BOTH A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MINDFULNESS AND DECREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE E.W.M. HAS BEEN USEFUL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND MAY REPRESENT A NEW METHOD IN THE MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION. 2016 9 1512 33 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 10 1620 49 MINDFUL2WORK: EFFECTS OF COMBINED PHYSICAL EXERCISE, YOGA, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONS FOR STRESS RELIEVE IN EMPLOYEES. A PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY. WORK-RELATED STRESS AND ASSOCIATED ILLNESS AND BURNOUT IS RISING IN WESTERN SOCIETY, WITH NOW AS MUCH AS ALMOST A QUARTER OF EUROPEAN AND HALF OF USA'S EMPLOYEES ESTIMATED TO BE AT THE POINT OF BURNOUT. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, YOGA, AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE HAVE ALL SHOWN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS FOR WORK-RELATED STRESS AND ILLNESS. THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY ASSESSED THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTS OF THE NEWLY DEVELOPED MINDFUL2WORK TRAINING, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, RESTORATIVE YOGA, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONS, DELIVERED IN SIX WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS PLUS A FOLLOW-UP SESSION. PARTICIPANTS (N = 26, FOUR MALES), REFERRED BY COMPANY DOCTORS WITH (WORK-RELATED) STRESS AND BURNOUT COMPLAINTS, COMPLETED MEASUREMENTS PRE AND POST THE INTERVENTION, AS WELL AS AT 6-WEEK (FU1) AND 6-MONTH (FU2) FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS SHOWED VERY HIGH FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE MINDFUL2WORK TRAINING. THE TRAINING AND TRAINERS WERE RATED WITH AN 8.1 AND 8.4 ON A 1-10 SCALE, RESPECTIVELY, AND TRAINING DROPOUT RATE WAS ZERO. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WITH (VERY) LARGE EFFECT SIZES WERE DEMONSTRATED FOR THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WORKABILITY, AND FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS, SLEEP QUALITY, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, WHICH REMAINED (VERY) LARGE AND MOSTLY INCREASED FURTHER OVER TIME. RISK FOR LONG-TERM DROPOUT FROM WORK (CHECKLIST INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH [CIS]) WAS 92 % AT PRE-TEST, REDUCED TO 67 % AT POST-TEST, TO 44 % AT FU1, AND 35 % AT FU2, WHEREAS EMPLOYEES WORKED (RTWI) 65 % OF THEIR CONTRACT HOURS PER WEEK AT PRE-TEST, WHICH INCREASED TO 73 % AT POST-TEST, 81 % AT FU1 AND 93 % AT FU2. INTENSITY OF HOME PRACTICE OR NUMBER OF ATTENDED SESSIONS WERE NOT RELATED TO TRAINING EFFECTS. TO CONCLUDE, THE NEWLY DEVELOPED MINDFUL2WORK TRAINING SEEMS VERY FEASIBLE, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND ALTHOUGH NO CONTROL GROUP WAS INCLUDED, THE LARGE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL2WORK ARE HIGHLY PROMISING. 2017 11 2227 42 THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. BACKGROUND: WORLD STATISTICS FOR THE PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY AND MOOD DISORDERS SHOWS THAT A GREAT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF ANXIETY OR MOOD DISORDER AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFETIME. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS HATHA YOGA AND SEATED MEDITATION HAVE BEEN USED AS A FORM OF SELF-HELP THERAPY AND IT IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR CHALLENGING OCCUPATIONS SUCH AS TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS. AIMS: IN THIS INVESTIGATION, WE AIMED AT OBSERVING THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA AND SEATED MEDITATION ON THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION LEVELS OF COLLEGE PROFESSORS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIXTY COLLEGE PROFESSORS, MEN AND WOMEN, AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 55 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED IN ONE OF THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS: YOGA NIDRA, SEATED MEDITATION, AND CONTROL GROUP. PROFESSORS WERE EVALUATED TWO TIMES THROUGHOUT THE 3-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES INCLUDED ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION. RESULTS: DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE RELAXATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS IN THE ANXIETY LEVELS. MEDITATION GROUP PRESENTED BETTER INTRAGROUP RESULTS ONLY IN THE ANXIETY VARIABLE (PHYSICAL COMPONENT). INTERGROUP ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE DEPRESSION LEVELS, BOTH INTERVENTION GROUPS PRESENTED BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP IN ALL OTHER VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: PREPOST RESULTS INDICATE THAT BOTH INTERVENTIONS REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND STRESS LEVELS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TENDENCY TOWARD A GREATER EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION REGARDING ANXIETY, WHICH MIGHT REPRESENT AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN REDUCING BOTH COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY. 2018 12 1230 43 FEASIBILITY AND OUTCOME OF AN ONLINE STREAMED YOGA INTERVENTION ON STRESS AND WELLBEING OF PEOPLE WORKING FROM HOME DURING COVID-19. BACKGROUND: THE OUTBREAK OF COVID-19 AND ITS ASSOCIATED MEASURES HAS RESULTED IN A SIZEABLE WORKING POPULATION TRANSITIONING TO WORKING FROM HOME (WFH), BRINGING ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES, AND INCREASING WORK-RELATED STRESS. RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT YOGA HAS PROMISING POTENTIAL IN REDUCING STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDIES EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ONLINE STREAMED YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE-WFH. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY AND OUTCOME OF AN ONLINE STREAMED YOGA INTERVENTION ON STRESS AND WELLBEING OF PEOPLE-WFH DURING COVID-19. METHODS: A SIX-WEEK PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) YOGA INTERVENTION WAS DESIGNED WITH YOGA (N = 26) AND A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 26). A MIXED TWO-WAY ANOVA WAS USED TO ASSESS CHANGES IN STANDARDISED OUTCOME MEASURES AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. LIKERT AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ASSESSED ENJOYMENT, ACCEPTABILITY AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH WERE ANALYSED THEMATICALLY. RESULTS: COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL, THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MENTAL WELLBEING, DEPRESSION AND COPING SELF-EFFICACY, BUT NOT STRESS AND ANXIETY. PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS AND REPORTED HIGH ACCEPTABILITY AND ENJOYMENT OF THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: AN ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION CAN HELP PEOPLE WFH MANAGE STRESS AND ENHANCE WELLBEING AND COPING ABILITIES. 2021 13 1751 26 PILOT STUDY: USE OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND YOGA PRACTICES WITH LOW-INCOME AND/OR UNINSURED PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY. PURPOSE: THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICES, INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA, ON DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN UNINSURED AND/OR LOW-INCOME PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE DESIGN WAS REPEATED MEASURES WITH ONE GROUP. METHOD: PATIENTS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING WERE MEASURED FOUR TIMES. FINDINGS: INTERVENTIONS WERE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING UNINSURED AND LOW-INCOME PATIENTS REDUCE DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR THESE DISORDERS. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 2015 14 2810 37 YOGA TO ENHANCE SELF EFFICACY: AN INTERVENTION FOR AT-RISK YOUTH. OBJECTIVE: YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVENESS IN IMPROVING SELF-MANAGEMENT IN A VARIETY OF DISEASE STATES HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENT FEMALES IN AN URBAN SCHOOL BASED ENVIRONMENT. THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF YOGA COULD IMPROVE THE SELF-EFFICACY AND BODY CORE TONE IN AT-RISK ADOLESCENT FEMALE PARTICIPANTS. METHOD: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED, WITH DATA COLLECTION AT BASELINE, END OF PROGRAM, AND 1MONTH POST-PROGRAM. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS AGES 11-14 WERE RECRUITED. YOGA WAS PRACTICED TWICE WEEKLY FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SELF-EFFICACY WAS MEASURED USING A STANDARDIZED TOOL, THE SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHILDREN (SEQ-C). IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBILITY AND CORE BODY TONE WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THE RESEARCHERS COLLECTED DATA ON ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENTS USING THE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENT (ACES) SCALE. RESULTS: FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED AND 14 (87%) WERE RETAINED THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT. BASED ON THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, NON-PARAMETRIC TESTS WERE USED (FREIDMAN'S TEST). ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN TOTAL SEQ-C, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SEQ-C SOCIAL SUBSCALE (P=0.028). SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (P=0.001) AND IN FLEXIBILITY (P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANT ATTENDANCE/DOSE DID NOT CORRELATE TO ANY OF THE OUTCOMES, HOWEVER WITH THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS NOTED, IT IS ASSUMED THAT ANY LEVEL OF ATTENDANCE WAS BENEFICIAL. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SOCIAL SUBSCALE OF THE SEQ-C COULD BE THE RESULT OF BELONGING TO A GROUP AND STRENGTHENING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. 2018 15 719 38 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INCARCERATED WOMEN: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: INCARCERATED WOMEN SHARE A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN IN PRISON, ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES, SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, MAY INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (A) TO ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A GENDER-RESPONSIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTION WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND (B) TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF A GROUP-FORMAT IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM THAT MET TWO SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS ON LEVELS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG INCARCERATED WOMEN. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, IN WHICH EACH PARTICIPANT SERVED AS HER OWN CONTROL, WAS USED. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE SELF-ADMINISTERED INSTRUMENTS: THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE BEFORE TREATMENT (BASELINE) AND DURING TREATMENT (WEEKS 4, 8, AND 12). LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO EXAMINE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES OVER TIME, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH 21 WOMEN INITIALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION, 6 WOMEN COMPLETED THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR DECREASE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OVER TIME, WITH MEAN VALUES CHANGING FROM 24.90 AT BASELINE TO 5.67 AT WEEK 12. THERE WAS A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY OVER TIME (12.00 AT BASELINE TO 7.33 AT WEEK 12) AND A NONLINEAR CHANGE IN STRESS OVER TIME, WITH DECREASES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 4 AND SUBSEQUENT INCREASES TO WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED FEWER SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OVER TIME. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY MAY BE USED TO IMPROVE FUTURE INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN. 2010 16 1369 20 IMPACT OF A SHORT YOGA INTERVENTION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' HEALTH: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: MEDICAL STUDENTS OFTEN EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS EARLY-ON IN UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING. AIMS: WE AIMED TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF A BRIEF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS. METHOD: FOURTEEN FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A 16-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION PILOT STUDY. STUDENTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, MID-INTERVENTION AND END OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: THE STUDENTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN OVERALL HEALTH, PERCEIVED STRESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING STRESS AND IMPROVING GENERAL WELL-BEING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS. 2009 17 342 25 ASHTANGA YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING: AN UNCONTROLLED OPEN PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WEIGHT IN YOUTH AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES. SECONDARILY, THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN YOGA ON SELF-CONCEPT AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS WAS MEASURED. METHODS: A 12-WEEK PROSPECTIVE PILOT ASHTANGA YOGA PROGRAM ENROLLED TWENTY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. WEIGHT WAS MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SELF-CONCEPT, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES AT THE INITIATION AND COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC CHILDREN, AGES 8-15, COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS WAS 2KG. WEIGHT DECREASED FROM 61.2+/-20.2KG TO 59.2+/-19.2KG (P=0.01). FOUR OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM IMPROVED, ALTHOUGH TWO HAD DECREASES IN SELF-ESTEEM. ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IMPROVED IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: ASHTANGA YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY IN A PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC POPULATION. 2009 18 208 41 A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES: COMPARISON OF DAILY PRACTICE AND NONDAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM LEARNT DURING A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY US AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. SUBJECTS: NINETY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. DESIGN: CASE-CONTROL STUDY. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO A DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CASE: N=43) AND A NONCONSECUTIVE DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CONTROL: N=47) ACCORDING TO THEIR DAILY PRACTICE LEVEL OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. INTERVENTIONS: THE SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED ON AN INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY SESSION. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOGA THEORIES, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION, AND COGNITIVE STRUCTURE BASED ON INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM USING THE SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS FOR MIND AND BODY AND THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOOD SCALE. THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE 28 (GHQ28) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE MENTAL HEALTH STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND AT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR LEVELS OF CALMNESS, COMFORT, AND CHEERFULNESS (P<0.001) AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN COGNITIVE MIND AND BODY STRESS (P<0.001) AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM. A COMPARISON OF THE TOTAL SCORES ON THE GHQ28 USING A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN TERMS OF BOTH INTERACTION (P=0.047) AND THE MAIN EFFECT (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING STRESS AND THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WAS PROMOTED BY THE DAILY PRACTICE OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. 2015 19 1753 36 PILOTING YOGA AND ASSESSING OUTCOMES IN A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT. THIS STUDY EXAMINED IF ADOLESCENTS ON A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION. YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE FOR MORE THAN 2000 YEARS; HOWEVER, STUDIES ARE LIMITED REGARDING ITS EFFECTS ON ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ON AN INPATIENT UNIT. YOGA WAS ADDED, TWICE WEEKLY, TO THE PROGRAM SCHEDULE. TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONNAIRE-ADOLESCENT SHORT FORM (TEIQUE-ASF) SCORES WERE MEASURED OVER 8 WEEKS. ADDITIONAL MEASURES INCLUDED DAILY NUMBERS OF QUIET TIMES, TIME OUTS, AND POINT CARD SCORES. TWENTY-TWO ADOLESCENTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TEIQUE-ASF ASSESSMENT WAS ABLE TO DETECT CHANGES IN TOTAL SCORES OVER 8 WEEKS. INCREASED YOGA PARTICIPATION WAS RELATED TO HIGHER VALUES OF THE TEIQUE-ASF SUBDOMAIN OF SOCIABILITY, INCREASE IN WEEKLY POINT CARD TOTALS, A DECREASE IN BEHAVIOURAL TIME OUTS, AND A DECREASE IN COMBINED BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTIONS AT VARIOUS TIME POINTS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMME. THIS STUDY WAS RELEVANT BECAUSE IT WAS CONDUCTED ON AN ADOLESCENT INPATIENT UNIT. IT PROVIDES SUPPORT THAT YOGA, AS PART OF A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME, IS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. CHANGES IN THE VARIOUS MEASURES CANNOT BE DIRECTLY LINKED TO YOGA BECAUSE OF LACK OF A COMPARISON GROUP. ADDITIONAL STUDIES WITH A LARGER SAMPLE, AND RANDOMIZATION, ARE NEEDED TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA AND TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES TO THE TEIQUE-ASF CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA OR OTHER BEHAVIOURAL-BASED INTERVENTIONS. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW YOGA WILL IMPACT BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN AN INPATIENT SETTING. THIS STUDY EXAMINED IF ADOLESCENTS ON A RESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH UNIT WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS EMOTIONAL REGULATION. A SINGLE COHORT STUDY DESIGN WAS USED. YOGA WAS ADDED TO THE PROGRAMME SCHEDULE TWICE WEEKLY. TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONNAIRE-ADOLESCENT SHORT FORM (TEIQUE-ASF) SCORES AND ADDITIONAL BEHAVIOURAL MEASURES WERE TRACKED OVER 8 WEEKS. ADOLESCENTS PARTICIPATED IN YOGA, WITH A HIGHER PARTICIPATION RATE FOR GIRLS COMPARED WITH BOYS. THE TEIQUE-ASF ASSESSMENT DETECTED CHANGES IN TOTAL SCORE OVER 8 WEEKS. INCREASED YOGA PARTICIPATION WAS RELATED TO HIGHER VALUES OF THE TEIQUE-ASF SUBDOMAIN OF SOCIABILITY, INCREASE IN WEEKLY POINT CARD TOTALS, AND A DECREASE IN COMBINED BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTIONS AT VARIOUS TIME POINTS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAMME. THIS STUDY WAS RELEVANT BECAUSE IT WAS CONDUCTED ON AN ADOLESCENT INPATIENT UNIT. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF CHANGES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA OR OTHER BEHAVIOURAL-BASED INTERVENTIONS. IF SUPPORTED BY FURTHER STUDIES, YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A COMPLIMENTARY THERAPY THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT APPROACH FOR MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS. 2015 20 2237 43 THE IMPACTS OF PILATES AND YOGA ON HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS AND SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER PILATES AND YOGA LEAD PEOPLE TO ADOPT GENERALLY HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE ELEMENTS AND FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS. TO THIS END, WE DESIGNED AN 8 WEEK EXERCISE PROGRAM OF PILATES AND YOGA REVIEWED BY VETERAN PRACTITIONERS AND CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY THROUGH WHICH WE COLLECTED THE DATA FROM 90 VOLUNTEERED ADULT SUBJECTS BETWEEN AGES 30 AND 49 (MEAN AGE = 35.47), EQUALLY REPRESENTED BY WOMEN AND MEN WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH PILATES OR YOGA. IN THE 8 WEEK LONG EXPERIMENT, WE ASSIGNED THE SUBJECTS TO THREE GROUPS, WHERE SUBJECTS IN THE TWO EXERCISE GROUPS REGULARLY TOOK PART IN EITHER PILATES OR YOGA CLASSES, AND THE CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN NEITHER EXERCISE CLASSES. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED TWO SURVEYS, THE HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE PROFILE (HPLP II) AND THE HEALTH SELF-RATING SCALE (HSRS), BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR ASSIGNED PROGRAM. IN OUR ANALYSIS OF PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT DIFFERENCES ACROSS THE THREE GROUPS, WE RAN ANOVA, ANCOVA, AND SHEFFE TEST, IMPLEMENTED USING SPSS PASW STATISTICS 18.00. OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT PILATES AND YOGA GROUPS EXHIBITED A HIGHER ENGAGEMENT IN HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE PROGRAM. SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS, MEASURED WITH HSRS, ALSO IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG PILATES AND YOGA PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE PROGRAM. THE SUPPLEMENTARY ANALYSIS FINDS NO SIGNIFICANT GENDER-BASED DIFFERENCE IN THESE IMPACTS. OVERALL, OUR RESULTS CONFIRM THAT PILATES AND YOGA HELP RECRUIT HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS IN PARTICIPANTS AND ENGENDER POSITIVE BELIEFS ABOUT THEIR SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS, THEREBY SETTING A POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT CYCLE IN MOTION. BY PROVIDING CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE PROMOTION OF PILATES OR YOGA CAN SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGY THAT HELPS INDIVIDUALS CHANGE BEHAVIORS ADVERSE TO THEIR HEALTH, THIS STUDY OFFERS PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ALIKE. 2021