1 2719 124 YOGA MEDITATION ENHANCES PROPRIOCEPTION AND BALANCE IN INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. THIS STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO PROPRIOCEPTIVE EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD). THIRTY-THREE PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE PD WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM (YOMED) OR TO AN ESTABLISHED PROPRIOCEPTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM (PRO). BOTH INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED TWICE WEEKLY SESSIONS (45 MINUTES EACH), SPANNING A 12-WEEK PERIOD. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED: JOINT POSITION SENSE (JPS45 DEGREES , JPS55 DEGREES , JPS65 DEGREES ) AND JOINT KINESTHESIA (JKFLEX AND JKEXT), THE TINETTI BALANCE ASSESSMENT TOOL (TIN), FALLS EFFICACY SCALE (FES), BALANCE ERROR SCORING SYSTEM (BESS), DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY (DMA AND TIME) AND THE TIMED UP-AND-GO TEST (TUG). TEST ADMINISTRATORS WERE BLINDED TO GROUP AFFILIATION. SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES FAVORING THE YOMED GROUP WERE OBSERVED FOR TIN (P = 0.01, D = 0.77) AND JKFLEX (P = 0.05, D = -0.72). DMA AND TIME SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FOR BOTH GROUPS, AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE YOMED PROGRAM IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FOR PATIENTS WITH PD. RESEARCHERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXAMINE THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE MOVEMENT CONTROL AND BODY AWARENESS IN THIS POPULATION. 2021 2 2718 53 YOGA MEDITATION (YOMED) AND ITS EFFECT ON PROPRIOCEPTION AND BALANCE FUNCTION IN ELDERS WHO HAVE FALLEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY. OBJECTIVE: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. HOWEVER, THE IMPACT OF MEDITATION ON DYNAMIC FACTORS SUCH AS GAIT, REACTIVE BALANCE AND PROPRIOCEPTION HAS YET TO BE EXAMINED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO TEST IF A NOVEL YOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM (YOMED) IS AS EFFECTIVE AS A STANDARD PROPRIOCEPTIVE TRAINING IN IMPROVING PROPRIOCEPTION, BALANCE AND POWER IN OLDER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE FALLEN. DESIGN: SIXTEEN OLDER PERSONS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOMED GROUP (YM) OR PROPRIOCEPTION TRAINING GROUP (PT). EACH GROUP RECEIVED 45MIN OF TRAINING, 3DAYS PER WEEK, FOR 6 WEEKS. PRETEST AND POST-TEST OUTCOME MEASURES WERE USED TO QUANTIFY THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTIONS. SETTING: RESEARCH LABORATORY. INTERVENTIONS: YOGA MEDITATION AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE TRAINING. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE BALANCE ERROR SCORING SYSTEM (BESS), THE TENETTI BALANCE AND GAIT ASSESSMENT, DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY, JOINT POSITION SENSE, JOINT KINESTHESIA AND LEG EXTENSOR POWER. RESULTS: THE PRIMARY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY WERE THAT NEITHER THE YM OR PT INTERVENTION GROUPS SHOWED STATISTICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN ANY VARIABLE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY OVERALL SCORE (DMA), WHICH SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT BY THE YM GROUP (D=1.238; P=0.049). ADDITIONALLY CHANGES IN A NUMBER OF VARIABLES THAT DID NOT REACH SIGNIFICANCE DEMONSTRATED EFFECT SIZES IN THE MEDIUM TO HIGH RANGE. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE YOMED PROGRAM TO BE USED AS A CLINICAL INTERVENTION IN OLDER INDIVIDUALS. GIVEN THESE RESULTS A LONGER STUDY USING A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE AND INDIVIDUALS AT HIGHER RISK OF FALLING IS WARRANTED. 2018 3 2099 30 THE EFFECT OF YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE ON YOUNG ADULTS' INHIBITORY CONTROL: AN FNIRS STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFECT OF YOGA MEDITATION (YOMED) PRACTICE ON INHIBITORY CONTROL OF YOUNG ADULTS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 50 PARTICIPANTS (23 MALE, 21-28 YEARS OLD) FROM A UNIVERSITY IN JINAN, SHANDONG PROVINCE WERE ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOMED GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS' BASIC INFORMATION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND INHIBITORY CONTROL WERE MEASURED. A MULTI-CHANNEL CONTINUOUS-WAVE NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROMETER WAS USED TO MONITOR THE BRAIN'S HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSES. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, WE FOUND SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN FLANKER TASKS BETWEEN THE YOMED GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE ACCURACY IN THE YOMED GROUP WAS HIGHER THAN THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05). ANALYSIS OF FNIRS DATA SHOWED THAT OXYHEMOGLOBIN (OXY-HB) LEVELS IN THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX (PFC) INCREASED IN THE YOMED GROUP DURING THE FLANKER TASKS AFTER THE YOMED INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: YOMED HAS A TEMPORARILY PROMOTING EFFECT ON THE BRAIN ACTIVATION OF YOUNG ADULTS. IT IS AN EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE EXERCISE TO IMPROVE THE INHIBITORY CONTROL OF YOUNG ADULTS. 2021 4 782 32 EFFECT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) INTERVENTION IN INDIVIDUAL WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINCIAL TRAIL. PARTICIPANTS: SIXTY-SIX INDIVIDUAL PREDIAGNOSED WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 75 YEARS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS, I.E., YOGA (N = 31) AND CONTROL (N = 35). YOGA GROUP RECEIVED IAYT INTERVENTION FOR 1 WEEK AT YOGA CENTER OF S-VYASA WHEREAS CONTROL GROUP MAINTAINED THEIR NORMAL LIFESTYLE. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE FALLS EFFICACY SCALE (FES), HANDGRIP STRENGTH TEST (LEFT HAND LHGS AND RIGHT HAND RHGS), TIMED UP AND GO TEST (TUG), SIT-TO-STAND (STS), AND RIGHT & LEFT EXTENSION AND FLEXION WERE MEASURED ON DAY 1 AND DAY 7. RESULTS: THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TUG (P < 0.001), RIGHT (P < 0.001), AND LEFT FLEXION (P < 0.001) WHEREAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN LHGS (P < 0.01), AND RIGHT EXTENSION (P < 0.05) & LEFT EXTENSION (P < 0.001) FROM BASELINE IN YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: IAYT PRACTICE SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN TUG, STS, HGS, AND GONIOMETER TEST, WHICH SUGGEST IMPROVED MUSCULAR STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY. CTRI REGISTRATION NUMBER: HTTP://CTRI.NIC.IN/CLINICALTRIALS, IDENTIFIER CTRI/2017/10/010141. 2018 5 510 29 COMPARATIVE IMPACTS OF TAI CHI, BALANCE TRAINING, AND A SPECIALLY-DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM ON BALANCE IN OLDER FALLERS. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF A CUSTOM-DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM WITH 2 OTHER BALANCE TRAINING PROGRAMS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: RESEARCH LABORATORY. PARTICIPANTS: A GROUP OF OLDER ADULTS (N=39; MEAN AGE, 74.15 +/- 6.99 Y) WITH A HISTORY OF FALLING. INTERVENTIONS: THREE DIFFERENT EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS (TAI CHI, STANDARD BALANCE TRAINING, YOGA) WERE GIVEN FOR 12 WEEKS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BALANCE PERFORMANCE WAS EXAMINED DURING PRE- AND POSTTEST USING FIELD TESTS, INCLUDING THE 8-FOOT UP-AND-GO TEST, 1-LEG STANCE, FUNCTIONAL REACH, AND USUAL AND MAXIMAL WALKING SPEED. THE STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCES WERE ALSO ASSESSED BY POSTURAL SWAY AND DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: TRAINING PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL FIELD TESTS (P<.005), BUT GROUP DIFFERENCE AND TIME X GROUP INTERACTION WERE NOT DETECTED. FOR POSTURAL SWAY, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN THE AREA OF THE CENTER OF PRESSURE WITH EYES OPEN (P=.001) AND EYES CLOSED (P=.002) WERE DETECTED AFTER TRAINING. FOR EYES OPEN, MAXIMUM MEDIAL-LATERAL VELOCITY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FOR THE SAMPLE (P=.013). FOR EYES CLOSED, MEDIAL-LATERAL DISPLACEMENT DECREASED FOR TAI CHI (P<.01). FOR DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN OVERALL SCORE (P=.001), TIME ON THE TEST (P=.006), AND 2 LINEAR MEASURES IN LATERAL (P=.001) AND ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR (P<.001) DIRECTIONS WERE SEEN FOR THE SAMPLE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS AS EFFECTIVE AS TAI CHI AND STANDARD BALANCE TRAINING FOR IMPROVING POSTURAL STABILITY AND MAY OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO MORE TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. 2014 6 675 33 EFFECT OF A SIX-MONTH YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON FITNESS OUTCOMES FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. YOGA-BASED EXERCISE HAS PROVEN TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR PRACTITIONERS, INCLUDING CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY REPORTS ON THE IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR 20 BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-MONTH YOGA-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM (YE). RESULTS ARE COMPARED TO A COMPREHENSIVE EXERCISE (CE) PROGRAM GROUP AND A COMPARISON (C) EXERCISE GROUP WHO CHOSE THEIR OWN EXERCISES. "PRE" AND "POST" FITNESS ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED MEASURES OF ANTHROPOMETRICS, CARDIORESPIRATORY CAPACITY, STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, EFFECT SIZE (D), DEPENDENT SAMPLE 'T' TESTS FOR ALL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CALCULATED FOR THE YE GROUP. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED: DECREASED % BODY FAT (-3.00%, D = -0.44, P < 0.001); INCREASED SIT TO STAND LEG STRENGTH REPETITIONS (2.05, D = 0.48, P = 0.003); FORWARD REACH (3.59 CM, D = 0.61, P = 0.01); AND RIGHT ARM SAGITTAL RANGE OF MOTION (6.50 DEGREES , D = 0.92, P = 0.05). TO COMPARE YE OUTCOMES WITH THE OTHER TWO GROUPS, A ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED. YE PARTICIPANTS SIGNIFICANTLY OUTPERFORMED C PARTICIPANTS ON "FORWARD REACH" (3.59 CM GAINED VERSUS -2.44 CM LOST), (P = 0.009) AND OUTPERFORMED CE PARTICIPANTS (3.59 CM GAINED VERSUS 1.35 CM GAINED), BUT NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT YOGA-BASED EXERCISE MODIFIED FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. 2015 7 2134 31 THE EFFECTS OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL CONTROL, MOBILITY, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON GAIT SPEED, POSTURAL CONTROL, AND MOBILITY IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH A PRETEST/POST-TEST DESIGN. RESEARCHERS EVALUATED CHANGES OVER TIME (PRETEST TO POST-TEST) IN ALL OUTCOME MEASURES. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO ANALYZE NORMAL AND FAST GAIT SPEED, TIMED UP AND GO TEST, AND TIMED UP AND GO DUAL TASK. WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST WAS USED TO EVALUATE SCORES FOR THE MINI-BESTEST (MBT). SETTING: YOGA CLASSES WERE PERFORMED AT A LOCAL SENIOR CENTER. BLIND EXAMINERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY TRAINED IN THE OUTCOME MEASURES PERFORMED ALL PRETESTS AND POST-TESTS AT THE SITE. PARTICIPANTS: THIRTEEN ADULTS (12 WOMEN AND 1 MAN, WITH A MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION OF 72+/-6.9 YEARS) COMPLETED THE STUDY. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS HAD MINIMAL TO NO YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTIONS: A 12-WEEK, 60-MINUTE, BIWEEKLY KRIPALU YOGA CLASS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: POSTURAL CONTROL (MBT), MOBILITY (TIMED UP AND GO TEST), AND GAIT SPEED (NORMAL AND FAST) WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: ALL 13 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED AT LEAST 19 OF THE 24 CLASSES (80% ATTENDANCE). STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN THE MBT (P=0.039), NORMAL GAIT SPEED (P=0.015), FAST GAIT SPEED (P=0.001), TIMED UP AND GO TEST (P=0.045), AND TIMED UP AND GO DUAL-TASK (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTURAL CONTROL AND MOBILITY AS MEASURED BY THE MBT AND TIMED UP AND GO GAIT AS MEASURED BY FAST GAIT SPEED INDICATE THAT RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS BENEFITTED FROM THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTION. THE YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR THIS STUDY INCLUDED ACTIVITIES IN STANDING, SITTING, AND LYING ON THE FLOOR AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING MOBILITY, POSTURAL CONTROL, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. 2014 8 884 31 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR POSTURAL CONTROL. [PURPOSE] THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] SIXTEEN OBESE VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED FOR 45 MINUTES PER DAY, 3 TIMES PER WEEK, FOR 4 WEEKS. STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE WERE ASSESSED IN VOLUNTEERS WITH ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE TESTED BEFORE TRAINING AND AFTER A SINGLE WEEK OF TRAINING. TWO-WAY REPEATED MEASURE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WITH TUKEY'S HONESTLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE POST HOC STATISTICS WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA. [RESULTS] OBESE INDIVIDUALS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA TRAINING GROUP, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF STATIC OR DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER 4 WEEKS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN STATIC STANDING BALANCE WAS FOUND AFTER THE 2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH WEEKS. COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 2ND WEEK, AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 4TH WEEK. [CONCLUSION] YOGA TRAINING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR IMPROVING STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. 2015 9 550 38 CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF POWER YOGA IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE. OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A SPECIALLY DESIGNED POWER YOGA PROGRAM (YOGA) ON BRADYKINESIA, RIGIDITY, MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH PD. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: UNIVERSITY LABORATORY, US. INTERVENTION: TWENTY-SIX PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE PD WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP (CON). THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS THREE MONTHS, INCORPORATING TWO SESSIONS/WK OF YOGA CLASSES. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: UPPER AND LOWER LIMB BRADYKINESIA AND RIGIDITY SCORES FROM THE UNIFIED PARKINSON'S DISEASE RATING SCALE, ONE REPETITION MAXIMUMS (1RM) AND PEAK POWERS ON BICEPS CURL, CHEST PRESS, LEG PRESS, HIP ABDUCTION AND SEATED CALF, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (PDQ-39). RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH UPPER AND LOWER LIMBS BRADYKINESIA SCORES, RIGIDITY SCORE, 1RM FOR ALL 5 MACHINES AND LEG PRESS POWER (P<.05). SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN THE PDQ-39 OVERALL SCORE, MOBILITY AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING DOMAIN FOR THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE 3-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BRADYKINESIA AND RIGIDITY, AND INCREASED MUSCLE STRENGTH AND POWER IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH PD. POWER TRAINING IS AN EFFECTIVE TRAINING MODALITY TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PD. 2016 10 1276 30 FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE FOLLOWING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF YOGA. INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS IN MOTOR FUNCTION, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, POSTURAL STABILITY, AND BALANCE. THESE LIMITATIONS OFTEN LEAD TO HIGHER INCIDENCES OF FALLS, WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. YOGA MAY IMPROVE THESE FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN MOTOR FUNCTION, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, POSTURAL STABILITY, AND BALANCE CONTROL FOR COMMUNITY DWELLING INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS RANDOMIZED, WAIT-LIST CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE INFLUENCE OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH PD WHO MET THE FOLLOWING INCLUSION CRITERIA: ENDORSING A FEAR OF FALLING, BEING ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH, SCORING 4/6 ON THE MINIMENTAL STATE EXAM, AND BEING WILLING TO ATTEND THE INTERVENTION TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8-WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP (N=15) EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR FUNCTION, POSTURAL STABILITY, FUNCTIONAL GAIT, AND FREEZING GAIT, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN FALL RISK. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL (N=12) ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN POSTURAL STABILITY, ALTHOUGH THEIR FALL RISK WAS NOT REDUCED. INDIVIDUALS IN THE YOGA GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THEIR FALL RISK. AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION MAY REDUCE FALL RISK AND IMPROVE POSTURAL STABILITY, AND FUNCTIONAL AND FREEZING GAIT IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS CLINICAL TRIAL IS REGISTERED AS PROTOCOL RECORD PRO00041068 IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV. 2018 11 896 34 EFFECT OF YOGASANA INTERVENTION ON STANDING BALANCE PERFORMANCE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (DPN) IS KNOWN TO CAUSE IMPAIRED BALANCE AND EVENTUALLY INCREASED RISK OF FALL. YOGASANAS CHARACTERIZED BY SLOW, GENTLE TRANSITIONS INTO POSTURES WITH A VARYING BASE OF SUPPORT AND FOCUS ON BODY AWARENESS DURING MOVEMENT HOLD POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING BALANCE CONTROL. THEREFORE, THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE EFFECT OF STRUCTURED YOGASANA INTERVENTION COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISE ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIABETIC NEUROPATHY. METHODS: : THIRTY-FIVE PEOPLE WITH DPN AGED 42-70 YEARS WERE RECRUITED TO YOGASANA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 11), CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES GROUP (N = 10), AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 14) FOLLOWING ETHICAL APPROVAL. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND POST 12-WEEK INTERVENTION ON STAR EXCURSION BALANCE TEST, SINGLE-LIMB STANCE TEST, AND CENTER OF PRESSURE (COP) EXCURSION FOR BALANCE PERFORMANCE, MODIFIED FALL EFFICACY SCALE FOR FEAR OF FALLS AND LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH USING CHAIR STAND TEST AND STEP-UP TEST. RESULTS: BALANCE PERFORMANCE (STATIC AND DYNAMIC MEASURED BY STAR EXCURSION BALANCE TEST, SINGLE-LIMB STANCE TEST, AND COP EXCURSION, LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH (USING CHAIR STAND TEST AND STEP-UP TEST) DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENT AND FEAR OF FALL REDUCED AMONG YOGASANA INTERVENTION GROUP (P = 0.05) AND CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES GROUP (P = 0.05) POST 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. COP EXCURSION INCREASED IN THE CONTROL GROUP INDICATING DETERIORATION IN BALANCE PERFORMANCE AFTER 12 WEEKS (P = 0.05). POST HOC COMPARISON REVEALED THAT YOGASANA INTERVENTION WAS MARGINALLY MORE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES IN ALL VARIABLES OF STANDING BALANCE PERFORMANCE (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: YOGASANA AND CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES WERE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE, LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND REDUCING FEAR OF FALL AMONG PEOPLE WITH DPN. YOGASANA INTERVENTION DEMONSTRATED MARGINALLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PERFORMANCE AND LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLE STRENGTH COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE. 2021 12 537 33 COMPARISONS OF TAI CHI AND IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION EFFECTS ON MUSCLE STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND CONFIDENCE IN BALANCE. BACKGROUND: THE AIM OF THE STUDY IS TO COMPARE A 16-WEEK TAI CHI AND IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM EFFECTS ON MUSCLE STRENGTH, STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE IN ELDERLY PEOPLE. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 48 PARTICIPANTS (>/=60 YEARS OLD) WITHOUT MOBILITY-IMPAIRING NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, DEMENTIA, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE/SYMPTOMS DURING MODERATE EXERCISE, POORLY CONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, OR BALANCE-IMPAIRING DRUG USE. PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO A TAI CHI GROUP, AN IYENGAR YOGA GROUP, AND A CONTROL GROUP (EIGHT MALES AND EIGHT FEMALES PER GROUP), USING A RESTRICTED RANDOMIZATION SCHEME GENERATED BY SOFTWARE. WHILE THE FORMER TWO UNDERTOOK 16-WEEK EXERCISE PROGRAMS, THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED GENERAL EDUCATION. MAXIMUM CONCENTRIC STRENGTH WAS MEASURED WITH AN ISOKINETIC DYNAMOMETER. THE ONE-LEGGED STAND WITH EYES CLOSED, "8 FEET UP AND GO," AND ACTIVITIES-SPECIFIC BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ABC) SCALE WERE USED TO ASSESS STATIC BALANCE, DYNAMIC BALANCE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: BOTH PROGRAMS IMPROVED ALL MEASURES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH TAI CHI BEING MORE EFFECTIVE FOR INCREASING KNEE FL EXOR STRENGTH (P=0.045) AND EXTENSOR STRENGTH (P=0.032) AND ABC SCORE (P=0.034); IYENGAR YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING STATIC BALANCE (P=0.014) AND DYNAMIC BALANCE (P=0.025; ALL P VALUES HERE VS. THE OTHER PROGRAM). CONCLUSIONS: TAI CHI AND IYENGAR YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE AMONG OLDER PEOPLE. BOTH ARE SUITABLE EXERCISE CHOICES FOR OLDER ADULTS. 2021 13 680 34 EFFECT OF A YOGA PROGRAMME ON AN INDIVIDUAL WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A SINGLE-SUBJECT DESIGN. PURPOSE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF EIGHT WEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS ON BALANCE, MOBILITY AND REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD). FURTHERMORE, TO TEST THE METHODOLOGY IN ORDER TO INFORM FUTURE RESEARCH. METHOD: A 69-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WITH AN 8-YEAR HISTORY OF PD (HOEHN AND YAHR RATING TWO) WAS SELECTED FOR THE STUDY, WHICH HAD A SINGLE SUBJECT ABA DESIGN. A 1-WEEK BASELINE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN 8-WEEK PERIOD OF WEEKLY 60 MIN YOGA CLASSES AND A FURTHER 5 WEEKS OF TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES USED WERE BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS), TIMED UP AND GO (TUG) AND THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE-39 (PDQ-39); COLLECTED AT BASELINE, BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND AT FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: AN IMPROVEMENT WAS NOTED IN THE BBS AND TUG DURING THE INTERVENTION PHASE; ALTHOUGH THESE CHANGES DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT. NO CHANGE IN QUALITY OF LIFE AS MEASURED BY THE PDQ-39 WAS NOTED. CONCLUSIONS: THE OBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD WERE NOT CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT. SUBJECTIVELY, THE PARTICIPANT GAINED MUCH ENJOYMENT AND RELAXATION FROM THE YOGA CLASSES. THIS STUDY JUSTIFIES THE NEED FOR FURTHER STUDIES USING A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE. ADDITIONALLY, IT WILL INFORM THE METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN. 2011 14 456 34 CHANGES IN NONMOTOR SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) IS A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDER MARKED BY PROGRESSIVE DEGENERATIVE MOTOR SYMPTOMS (E.G., TREMORS, IMPAIRED BALANCE AND GAIT) AND NONMOTOR SYMPTOMS (E.G., FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, PAIN) THAT CAN NEGATIVELY INFLUENCE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD IMPROVES BALANCE, STRENGTH, AND MOBILITY. HOWEVER, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON NONMOTOR SYMPTOMS OF PD. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN NONMOTOR SYMPTOMS AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH PD FOLLOWING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. DATA USED FOR ANALYSES WERE PART OF A LARGER STUDY THAT RESEARCHED IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR FUNCTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. PARTICIPANTS (N = 27) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIMENTAL (N = 15) AND CONTROL (N = 12) GROUPS AND COMPLETED PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. WITHIN-GROUP IMPROVEMENTS WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR FATIGUE MEASURED BY THE PARKINSON'S FATIGUE SCALE, BALANCE CONFIDENCE MEASURED BY THE ACTIVITIES BALANCE CONFIDENCE SCALE, THE BELIEF IN ONE'S ABILITY TO MANAGE FALLS MEASURED BY THE FALLS MANAGEMENT SCALE, ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS MEASURED BY THE ACTIVITIES CONSTRAINT QUESTIONNAIRE, AND PD-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURED BY THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE-8. ACROSS-GROUP CHANGES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS. FINDINGS INDICATE YOGA MAY BE AN EFFICACIOUS INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING NONMOTOR SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS HRQOL FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. 2019 15 973 36 EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM ON QUALITY OF LIFE, SPINAL FLEXIBILITY, AND STRENGTH IN OLDER ADULTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. CONTEXT: AGING CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A DECREASE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A RESULT OF METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION AND HORMONAL IMBALANCE THAT CAN CAUSE DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE AND AGING-RELATED INFLAMMATION. AS AGE ADVANCES, A DECREASE IN MUSCLE MASS, MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY CAN IMPAIR PHYSICAL FUNCTION. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE IN IMPROVING THE FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) OF OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: THIS RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A PROSPECTIVE, TWO-ARM, OPEN-LABEL, AND PARALLEL, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE IN AN OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT AT DIVINE PARK, YOGA & NATUROPATHY HOSPITAL, UDUPI, KARNATAKA, INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 96 OLDER ADULTS, AGED 60-75 YEARS (64.1 +/- 3.95 YEARS) TAKING PART IN A YOGA PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT. INTERVENTION: THE PROGRAM WAS A THREE-MONTH, YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 48) OR TO A WAITLISTED CONTROL GROUP (N = 48). THE INTERVENTION GROUP UNDERWENT THREE ONE-HOUR SESSIONS OF YOGA WEEKLY, WITH EACH SESSION INCLUDING LOOSENING EXERCISES, ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION SPANNING. OUTCOME MEASURES: AT BASELINE AND POST INTERVENTION, ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE: (1) FOR SPINAL FLEXIBILITY USING A SIT AND REACH TEST, (2) FOR BACK AND LEG STRENGTH USING A BACK LEG DYNAMOMETER, (3) FOR HANDGRIP STRENGTH (HGS) AND ENDURANCE (HGE) USING A HAND-GRIP DYNAMOMETER, AND (4) THE OLDER PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE (OPQOL) QUESTIONNAIRE. ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED EMPLOYING WILCOXON'S SIGN RANK TESTS AND MANN WHITNEY TESTS, USING AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT APPROACH. RESULTS: COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THE INTERVENTION GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER INCREASE IN SPINAL FLEXIBILITY (P < .001), BACK LEG STRENGTH (P < .001), HGE (P < .01), AND QOL (P < .001) AFTER THREE MONTHS OF YOGA. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN BE USED SAFELY FOR OLDER ADULTS TO IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH, AND FUNCTIONAL QOL. LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH AN ACTIVE CONTROL INTERVENTION ARE WARRANTED. 2022 16 506 39 COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF POWER TRAINING AND HIGH-SPEED YOGA ON MOTOR FUNCTION IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON DISEASE. OBJECTIVES: TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF POWER TRAINING (PWT) AND A HIGH-SPEED YOGA PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCES IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON DISEASE (PD), AND TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT BOTH TRAINING INTERVENTIONS WOULD ATTENUATE PD SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: A LABORATORY OF NEUROMUSCULAR RESEARCH AND ACTIVE AGING. PARTICIPANTS: PATIENTS WITH PD (N=41; MEAN AGE +/- SD, 72.2 +/- 6.5Y). INTERVENTIONS: TWO HIGH-SPEED EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS (SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM AND PWT) WERE GIVEN FOR 12 WEEKS (TWICE A WEEK), AND 1 NONEXERCISE CONTROL GROUP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: UNIFIED PARKINSON DISEASE RATING SCALE MOTOR SCORE (UPDRSMS), BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS), MINI-BALANCE EVALUATION SYSTEMS TEST (MINI-BESTEST), TIMED UP AND GO, FUNCTIONAL REACH, SINGLE LEG STANCE (SLS), POSTURAL SWAY TEST, 10-M USUAL AND MAXIMAL WALKING SPEED TESTS, 1 REPETITION MAXIMUM (RM), AND PEAK POWER (PPW) FOR LEG PRESS. RESULTS: FOR THE POSTTESTS, BOTH TRAINING GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS (P<.05) IN ALL PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS EXCEPT FUNCTIONAL REACH ON THE MORE AFFECTED SIDE, SLS, AND POSTURAL SWAY COMPARED WITH THE PRETESTS, AND SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SCORES FOR UPDRSMS, BBS, MINI-BESTEST, TIMED UP AND GO, FUNCTIONAL REACH ON THE LESS AFFECTED SIDE, 10-M USUAL AND MAXIMAL WALKING SPEED TESTS, 1RM, AND PPW THAN CONTROLS, WITH NO DIFFERENCES DETECTED BETWEEN THE YOGA PROGRAM AND PWT. CONCLUSIONS: BOTH THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM AND PWT PROGRAMS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN OLDER PERSONS WITH PD. 2016 17 666 29 EFFECT OF A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON FEAR OF FALLING AND BALANCE IN OLDER ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER FEAR OF FALLING (FOF) AND BALANCE IMPROVED AFTER A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION SINGLE-ARMED PILOT STUDY. SETTING: A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN A MEDIUM-SIZED UNIVERSITY TOWN IN THE MIDWEST. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS (N=14) OVER THE AGE OF 65 YEARS WHO ALL ENDORSED AN FOF. INTERVENTION: EACH PARTICIPANT TOOK PART IN A BIWEEKLY 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE YOGA SESSIONS INCLUDED BOTH PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES. POSTURES WERE COMPLETED IN SITTING AND STANDING POSITIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: WE MEASURED FOF WITH THE ILLINOIS FOF MEASURE AND BALANCE WITH THE BERG BALANCE SCALE. UPPER- AND LOWER-BODY FLEXIBILITY WERE MEASURED WITH THE BACK SCRATCH TEST AND CHAIR SIT AND REACH TEST, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: FOF DECREASED BY 6%, STATIC BALANCE INCREASED BY 4% (P=.045), AND LOWER-BODY FLEXIBILITY INCREASED BY 34%. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA MAY BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION TO MANAGE FOF AND IMPROVE BALANCE, THEREBY REDUCING FALL RISK FOR OLDER ADULTS. REHABILITATION THERAPISTS MAY WISH TO EXPLORE YOGA AS A MODALITY FOR BALANCE AND FALLS PROGRAMMING; HOWEVER, FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE USE OF YOGA IN SUCH PROGRAMMING. 2010 18 2095 32 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ASANA "VRKSASANA (TREE POSE)" ON BALANCE IN PATIENTS WITH POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: IN THIS STUDY, THE EFFECT OF THE ADD-ON EFFECT OF THE TREE POSE (VRKSASANA) ON THE BALANCE OF PATIENTS WITH POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS WAS INVESTIGATED. DESIGN: THIRTY-TWO PATIENTS WITH POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO CONSERVATIVE EXERCISE GROUP (30 MINS/D FOR 12 WKS) OR TREE POSE-ADDED EXERCISE GROUP (30-MIN CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE + 2-MIN TREE POSE/D FOR 12 WKS) BY MICROSOFT EXCEL RANDOMIZATION OPTION. THE BALANCE OF THE PATIENTS WAS EVALUATED WITH BERG BALANCE SCALE, TIMED UP AND GO TEST, SINGLE-LEG STANDING TEST, TANDEM WALK TEST, TANDEM STANCE TEST, AND KOREBALANCE STATIC&DYNAMIC BALANCE TESTS AT BASELINE, SIXTH WEEK, AND THIRD MONTH OF THE EXERCISE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THERE WAS NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE ON BASELINE DATA BETWEEN GROUPS. THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN THE SIXTH-WEEK MEASUREMENT OF SINGLE-LEG STANCE (P < 0.05). IN THE BERG BALANCE SCALE, STATIC BALANCE TEST, DYNAMIC BALANCE TEST, AND TANDEM WALK TEST, A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND AMONG BASELINE, SIXTH-WEEK, AND 12TH WEEK MEASUREMENTS IN BOTH THE EXERCISE GROUP AND THE TREE POSE-ADDED EXERCISE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: GAINS IN THE STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE OF POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROTIC PATIENTS CAN BE OBTAINED BY ADDING "VRKSASANA" TO CONVENTIONAL EXERCISES. 2022 19 702 42 EFFECT OF HOME-BASED TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISE ON FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY AMONG PERSONS WITH IDIOPATHIC PARKINSON'S DISEASE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) INVARIABLY EXPERIENCE FUNCTIONAL DECLINE IN A NUMBER OF MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR DOMAINS AFFECTING POSTURE, BALANCE AND GAIT. NUMEROUS CLINICAL STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED EFFECTS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF EXERCISE ON MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR PROBLEMS. BUT STILL MUCH GAP REMAINS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS THERAPIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON DELAYING OR SLOWING THE DOPAMINE NEURON DEGENERATION. RECENTLY, TAI CHI AND YOGA BOTH HAVE GAINED POPULARITY AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, SINCE BOTH HAVE COMPONENTS FOR MIND AND BODY CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER EIGHT WEEKS OF HOME-BASED TAI CHI OR YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN REGULAR BALANCE EXERCISES ON FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY. METHODS: TWENTY-SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WITH IDIOPATHIC PD (MODIFIED HOEHN AND YAHR STAGES 2.5-3) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE GROUP. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE EVALUATED FOR FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY USING BERG BALANCE SCALE, TIMED 10 M WALK TEST AND TIMED UP AND GO TEST BEFORE AND AFTER EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING. RESULTS: THE RESULTS WERE ANALYZED USING TWO-WAY MIXED ANOVA WHICH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR TIME AS F (1, 24) = 74.18, P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 76 FOR OVERALL BALANCE IN BERG BALANCE SCALE. THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF TIME ON MOBILITY OVERALL AS F(1, 24) = 77 . 78 , P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 76 IN TIMED UP AND GO TEST AND F(1, 24) = 48 . 24 , P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 67 FOR 10 M WALK TEST. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT FOR TIME X GROUP WITH F(2, 24) = 8 . 67 , P = 0 . 001 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 420 FOR BALANCE. WITH RESPECT TO MOBILITY, THE VALUES F(2, 24) = 5 . 92 , P = 0 . 008 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 330 IN TIMED UP AND GO TEST AND F(2, 24) = 10 . 40 , P = 0 . 001 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 464 IN 10 M WALK TEST SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT BETWEEN THE GROUPS FOR BOTH BALANCE AND MOBILITY. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT TAI CHI AS WELL AS YOGA ARE WELL ADHERED AND ARE ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS FOR A HOME-BASED SETTING. AS ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD EITHER TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES COULD BE USED AS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION TO OPTIMIZE BALANCE AND MOBILITY. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE MIND-BODY BENEFITS OF TAI CHI AND YOGA EITHER AS MULTICOMPONENT PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES OR AS INDIVIDUAL THERAPIES IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PD. 2020 20 965 35 EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL CONTROL, MOBILITY, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-LIVING OLDER ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF AN 8-WEEK THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL CONTROL, MOBILITY, RISING FROM THE FLOOR, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-LIVING OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND AN AGE-MATCHED CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES OVER TIME (PRETEST TO POSTTEST) WERE EVALUATED IN ALL OUTCOME MEASURES USING PAIRED T TESTS. SETTING: THE YOGA CLASS WAS PERFORMED AT A LOCAL CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. ALL TESTING WAS PERFORMED AT THE SITE. CONTROL-SUBJECT PRETESTS AND POSTTESTS WERE PERFORMED AT A SECOND CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. PARTICIPANTS: EIGHT RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS, ALL WOMEN, WITH A MEAN AGE OF 84 (4.6) YEARS, 8 CONTROL PARTICIPANTS, 5 WOMEN AND 3 MEN, AGED 81.3 (4.9) YEARS. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS WERE NAIVE TO YOGA. INTERVENTIONS: AN 8-WEEK, 80-MINUTE, BIWEEKLY KRIPALU YOGA CLASS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: POSTURAL CONTROL (BERG BALANCE SCALE), MOBILITY (TIME TO RISE FROM THE FLOOR TO STANDING, TIMED UP AND GO), GAIT (USUAL AND FAST GAIT SPEED), AND BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ACTIVITIES-SPECIFIC BALANCE SCALE). RESULTS: ALL SUBJECTS ATTENDED AT LEAST 10 OF THE 16 CLASSES (62% ATTENDANCE). POSTTEST DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS IN BALANCE SCORES (P < .003) AND FAST WALKING SPEED (P < .031). NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTED. CONCLUSIONS: IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTURAL CONTROL AS MEASURED BY THE BERG BALANCE SCALE AND GAIT AS MEASURED BY FAST GAIT SPEED INDICATE THAT RESEARCH SUBJECTS BENEFITED FROM THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR THIS STUDY INCLUDED THE ACTIVITIES OF STANDING, SITTING, AND LYING ON THE FLOOR. THEREFORE, SUBJECTS PERFORM ACTIVITIES DURING YOGA THAT CAN IMPROVE POSTURAL CONTROL, MOBILITY, AND GAIT SPEED. 2011