1 1263 127 FLEXIBILITY OF THE ELDERLY AFTER ONE-YEAR PRACTICE OF YOGA AND CALISTHENICS. FLEXIBILITY TRAINING RESPONSES TO DISTINCT STRETCHING TECHNIQUES ARE NOT WELL DEFINED, ESPECIALLY IN THE ELDERLY. THIS STUDY COMPARED THE FLEXIBILITY OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS BEFORE AND AFTER HAVING PRACTICED HATHA YOGA AND CALISTHENICS FOR 1 YEAR (52 WEEKS), AT LEAST 3 TIMES/WEEK. SIXTY-SIX SUBJECTS (12 MEN) MEASURED AND ASSIGNED TO 3 GROUPS: CONTROL (N = 24, AGE = 67.7+/-6.9 YEARS), HATHA YOGA (N = 22, AGE = 61.2+/-4.8 YEARS), AND CALISTHENICS (N = 20, AGE = 69.0+/-5.8 YEARS). THE MAXIMAL RANGE OF PASSIVE MOTION OF 13 MOVEMENTS IN 7 JOINTS WAS ASSESSED BY THE FLEXITEST, COMPARING THE RANGE OBTAINED WITH STANDARD CHARTS REPRESENTING EACH ARC OF MOVEMENT ON A DISCONTINUOUS AND NON-DIMENSIONAL SCALE FROM 0 TO 4. RESULTS OF INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENTS WERE SUMMED TO DEFINE 4 INDEXES (ANKLE+KNEE, HIP+TRUNK, WRIST+ELBOW, AND SHOULDER) AND TOTAL FLEXIBILITY (FLEXINDEX). RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES OF TOTAL FLEXIBILITY IN THE HATHA YOGA GROUP (BY 22.5 POINTS) AND THE CALISTHENICS GROUP (BY 5.8 POINTS) (P < 0.01 FOR EACH) AND A DECREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (BY 2.1 POINTS) (P < 0.01) AFTER ONE YEAR OF INTERVENTION. BETWEEN-GROUP COMPARISON SHOWED THAT INCREASES IN THE HATHA YOGA GROUP WERE GREATER THAN IN THE CALISTHENICS GROUP FOR MOST FLEXIBILITY INDEXES, PARTICULARLY THE OVERALL FLEXIBILITY (P <0.05). IN CONCLUSION, THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA (I.E., SLOW/PASSIVE MOVEMENTS) WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO CALISTHENICS (I.E., FAST/DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS), BUT CALISTHENICS WAS ABLE TO PREVENT FLEXIBILITY LOSSES OBSERVED IN SEDENTARY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. 2014 2 1702 32 PARTICIPATION TRENDS IN HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES: A 10-YEAR COMPARISON OF YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG USE AMONG A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF 195,926 AUSTRALIANS. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT DECADES, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA AND T'AI CHI HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY ESTABLISHED. CONSEQUENTLY, INVESTIGATING THE PARTICIPATION PREVALENCE AND PATTERNS OF THESE PRACTICES IS A RELEVANT PURSUIT IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD. FEW STUDIES HAVE PROVIDED POPULATION-LEVEL ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPATION RATES, HOWEVER, AND EVEN FEWER HAVE FOCUSED ON PATTERNS OVER TIME. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE PARTICIPATION PREVALENCE AND TRENDS IN YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD IN A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF AUSTRALIANS AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO SEX AND AGE. A SECONDARY PURPOSE WAS TO JUXTAPOSE THESE FINDINGS WITH PARTICIPATION TRENDS IN TRADITIONAL FITNESS ACTIVITIES OVER THE SAME PERIOD. METHODS: DATA COMPRISED MODES AND TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AGE, AND SEX VARIABLES COLLECTED THROUGH THE EXERCISE, RECREATION AND SPORT SURVEY (ERASS), A SERIES OF INDEPENDENT CROSS-SECTIONAL AUSTRALIA-WIDE SURVEYS CONDUCTED YEARLY BETWEEN 2001 AND 2010. FOR EACH YEAR, WEIGHTED POPULATION ESTIMATES WERE CALCULATED FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN YOGA/PILATES, T'AI CHI/QIGONG, AND FITNESS ACTIVITIES (E.G. AEROBICS, CALISTHENICS). LINEAR REGRESSION AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO EXAMINE TRENDS IN PREVALENCE RATES OVER TIME AND DIFFERENCES AMONG SEX AND AGE (15-34; 35-54; 55+ YEARS) GROUPS, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: AVERAGE PREVALENCE RATES BETWEEN 2001 AND 2010 WERE 3.0% (95% CI 2.9-3.1) FOR YOGA/PILATES, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.6) FOR T'AI CHI/QIGONG, AND 19.2% (95% CI 18.9-19.4) FOR FITNESS ACTIVITIES. ACROSS THE DECADE, OVERALL PARTICIPATION RATES REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE FOR YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG, WHILE INCREASING LINEARLY FOR FITNESS ACTIVITIES. FOR BOTH GENDERS AND IN ALL THREE AGE GROUPS, PARTICIPATION IN FITNESS ACTIVITIES INCREASED, WHEREAS ONLY IN THE 55+ AGE GROUP WAS THERE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN YOGA/PILATES PARTICIPATION; PARTICIPATION IN T'AI CHI/QIGONG DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TWO YOUNGER AGE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION RATES IN YOGA/PILATES AND T'AI CHI/QIGONG IN AUSTRALIA WERE LOW AND RELATIVELY STABLE. AS FITNESS ACTIVITIES INCREASED IN POPULARITY ACROSS THE DECADE, HOLISTIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES DID NOT. THESE FINDINGS POINT TO THE NEED TO INVESTIGATE ACTIVITY-SPECIFIC BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING INTRAPERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, ORGANISATIONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. 2017 3 1147 37 ENERGY EXPENDITURE DURING A VINYASA YOGA SESSION. BACKGROUND: VINYASA YOGA HAS BEEN RECENTLY PROMOTED AS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MINDFUL EXERCISES TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH, INCLUDING BODY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE METABOLIC RESPONSE OF 24 MODERATELY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS DURING A 90-MIN GROUP VINYASA YOGA ROUTINE. METHODS: HEART RATE (HR) TIME COURSE OF 12 MALES AND 12 FEMALES (AGE: 39+/-7.33 YEARS) WAS RECORDED DURING TWO GROUP VINYASA YOGA SESSIONS CONSISTED OF FOUR SECTIONS (WARM-UP, HIGH-INTENSITY SURYA NAMASKAR (HSN), NO SURYA NAMASKAR POSTURES, AND COOL-DOWN). MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO2PEAK) AND MAXIMUM HR HAD BEEN ESTIMATED EARLIER AFTER A MAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST. VO2 DURING VINYASA YOGA SESSIONS WAS ESTIMATED FROM INDIVIDUAL REGRESSION EQUATIONS USING THE RELATIONSHIP OF VO2 AND HR VALUES DERIVED FROM VO2PEAK TEST, WHILE THE METABOLIC RATE (KCAL/MIN) WAS CALCULATED FROM THE RELATIONSHIP OF HR AND KCAL/MIN. TOTAL SESSION ENERGY CONSUMPTION WAS THE AVERAGE VALUE OF THE TWO YOGA SESSIONS. RESULTS: THE 2 (GENDER) X 4 (SECTIONS) MIXED ANOVA REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO FACTORS (P=0.101) FOR THE MEAN METABOLIC RATE (7.1+/-2.6 KCAL/MIN). MEAN METABOLIC RATE THOUGHT WAS HIGHER (P=0.015) IN MALES COMPARED TO FEMALES AT EACH SECTION. ALSO, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND AMONG THE FOUR VINYASA YOGA SECTIONS (P<0.001) IN THE RATE OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE, WITH HSN PRESENTING THE HIGHEST MEAN VALUES (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IT SEEMS THAT SYSTEMATIC PARTICIPATION IN VINYASA YOGA MAY EFFECTIVELY IMPROVE CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS AND PROMOTE BODY WEIGHT LOSS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO TRADITIONAL AEROBIC EXERCISE. 2020 4 675 38 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 5 992 32 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. TEN HEALTHY, UNTRAINED VOLUNTEERS (NINE FEMALES AND ONE MALE), RANGING IN AGE FROM 18-27 YEARS, WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS, INCLUDING MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, BODY COMPOSITION, AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. SUBJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A MINIMUM OF TWO YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK FOR A TOTAL OF 8 WEEKS. EACH YOGA SESSION CONSISTED OF 10 MINUTES OF PRANAYAMAS (BREATH-CONTROL EXERCISES), 15 MINUTES OF DYNAMIC WARM-UP EXERCISES, 50 MINUTES OF ASANAS (YOGA POSTURES), AND 10 MINUTES OF SUPINE RELAXATION IN SAVASANA (CORPSE POSE). THE SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM. ISOKINETIC MUSCULAR STRENGTH FOR ELBOW EXTENSION, ELBOW FLEXION, AND KNEE EXTENSION INCREASED BY 31%, 19%, AND 28% (P<0.05), RESPECTIVELY, WHEREAS ISOMETRIC MUSCULAR ENDURANCE FOR KNEE FLEXION INCREASED 57% (P<0.01). ANKLE FLEXIBILITY, SHOULDER ELEVATION, TRUNK EXTENSION, AND TRUNK FLEXION INCREASED BY 13% (P<0.01), 155% (P<0.001), 188% (P<0.001), AND 14% (P<0.05), RESPECTIVELY. ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE INCREASED BY 7% AND 6%, RESPECTIVELY (P<0.01). THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE CAN ELICIT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. (C)2001 CHF, INC. 2001 6 984 38 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND AFRICAN DANCE ON PERCEIVED STRESS, AFFECT, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. BACKGROUND: DANCE AND YOGA HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PRODUCE IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. PURPOSE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE SOME OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSE TO THESE ACTIVITIES. METHODS: SIXTY-NINE HEALTHY COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THREE 90-MIN CLASSES: AFRICAN DANCE (N = 21), HATHA YOGA (N= 18), OR A BIOLOGY LECTURE AS A CONTROL SESSION (N = 30). BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CONDITION PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS), COMPLETED THE POSITIVE AFFECT AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE, AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE FOR CORTISOL. RESULTS: THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PSS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT (PS < .0001) AND TIME X TREATMENT INTERACTIONS (PS < .0001) SUCH THAT AFRICAN DANCE AND HATHA YOGA SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECLINES, WHEREAS THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN BIOLOGY LECTURE. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR POSITIVE AFFECT (P = .53), HOWEVER THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT (P < .001) SUCH THAT POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN AFRICAN DANCE, DECREASED IN BIOLOGY LECTURE, AND DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY IN HATHA YOGA. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR SALIVARY CORTISOL (P < .05) AND A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT (P < .0001) SUCH THAT CORTISOL INCREASED IN AFRICAN DANCE, DECREASED IN HATHA YOGA, AND DID NOT CHANGE IN BIOLOGY. CHANGES IN CORTISOL WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES ACROSS TREATMENTS. THERE WAS 1 SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT (P = .04) SUCH THAT CHANGE IN POSITIVE AFFECT AND CHANGE IN CORTISOL WERE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED IN HATHA YOGA BUT POSITIVELY CORRELATED IN AFRICA DANCE AND BIOLOGY. CONCLUSIONS: BOTH AFRICAN DANCE AND HATHA YOGA REDUCED PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. CORTISOL INCREASED IN AFRICAN DANCE AND DECREASED IN HATHA YOGA. THEREFORE, EVEN WHEN THESE INTERVENTIONS PRODUCE SIMILAR POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS, THE EFFECTS MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS PROCESSES. ONE FACTOR THAT MAY HAVE PARTICULAR SALIENCE IS THAT AMOUNT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL PRODUCED BY THE INTERVENTION. 2004 7 516 33 COMPARING COGNITION, COPING SKILLS AND VEDIC PERSONALITY OF INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA, PHYSICAL EXERCISE OR SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL FMRI STUDY. BACKGROUND: NATURE AND INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY INFLUENCE COGNITION, COPING MECHANISMS AND OVERALL PERSONALITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS TO COMPARE COGNITION, COPING STYLES AND VEDIC PERSONALITY AMONG INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE. METHODS: THIRTY-NINE HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS OF BOTH GENDER (27.63+/-4.04 YEARS) WERE RECRUITED AND CATEGORIZED INTO THREE GROUPS; I.E. YOGA, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE GROUPS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED ON COGNITION, COPING STYLES AND VEDIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (VPI). VERBAL-N-BACK AND STROOP TASKS WERE PERFORMED USING 3 TESLA MRI SCANNER. TASK BASED CONNECTIVITY (TBC) ANALYSIS WAS DONE USING CONN TOOLBOX IN SPM. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE COGNITIVE DOMAINS ACROSS THE GROUPS. THE PLANNING (P=0.03) AND ACCEPTANCE DOMAIN (P=0.03) OF THE BRIEF COPE SCALE SHOWED DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GROUPS. POST-HOC ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT PLANNING AND ACCEPTANCE SCORES WERE DISTINCTLY HIGHER IN THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GROUP, HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GROUP AND YOGA PRACTITIONERS. SIMILARLY, IN THE VPI, SATTVA (P=0.003), RAJAS (P=0.05) AND TAMAS (P=0.01) WERE DIFFERENT ACROSS THE GROUPS, AND THE POST HOC ANALYSIS SHOWED SUPERIORITY IN SATTVA SCORES IN YOGA GROUP, MEANWHILE, BOTH RAJAS AND TAMAS WERE HIGHER IN THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GROUP. YOGA PRACTITIONERS PREFERENTIALLY RECRUITED LEFT SUPERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS IN RELATION TO THE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE GROUP AND PRECUNEUS IN RELATION TO THE SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY REVEALED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD A DISTINCT HIGHER SATTVA GUNA AND PREFERENTIALLY RECRUITED BRAIN AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-REGULATION AND INHIBITORY CONTROL. 2022 8 1008 39 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 9 2876 31 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 2001 TO 2014. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BECOME MORE POPULAR AMONG PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS BEEN TOUTED BY BOTH YOGA PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS SOME PHYSICIANS AND RESEARCHERS FOR ITS HEALTH BENEFITS. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS HAVE BEEN STUDIED, THE FREQUENCY OF INJURY AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAS NOT BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. PURPOSE: INJURY INCIDENCE, RATES, AND TYPES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE NOT BEEN QUANTIFIED. THIS STUDY ESTIMATES US YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURY INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERIZES INJURY TYPE OVER A 13-YEAR PERIOD. STUDY DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDY. METHODS: DATA FROM THE NATIONAL ELECTRONIC INJURY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (NEISS) FROM 2001 TO 2014 WERE USED TO ESTIMATE THE INCIDENCE AND TYPE OF YOGA-ASSOCIATED INJURIES. THE NUMBER AND AGE DISTRIBUTION OF YOGA PARTICIPANTS WAS ESTIMATED USING DATA FROM NATIONAL HEALTH STATISTICS REPORTS. THESE NATIONAL POPULATION ESTIMATES WERE APPLIED TO THE NEISS DATA TO DETERMINE INJURY RATES OVERALL AND STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO AGE CATEGORIES. RESULTS: THERE WERE 29,590 YOGA-RELATED INJURIES SEEN IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FROM 2001 TO 2014. THE TRUNK (46.6%) WAS THE MOST FREQUENT REGION INJURED, AND SPRAIN/STRAIN (45.0%) ACCOUNTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF DIAGNOSES. THE INJURY RATE INCREASED OVERALL FROM 2001 TO 2014, AND IT WAS GREATEST FOR THOSE AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER (57.9/100,000) COMPARED WITH THOSE AGED 18 TO 44 YEARS (11.9/100,000) AND 45 TO 64 YEARS (17.7/100,000) IN 2014. CONCLUSION: PARTICIPANTS AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER HAVE A GREATER RATE OF INJURY FROM PRACTICING YOGA WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER AGE GROUPS. MOST INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE TO THE TRUNK AND INVOLVED A SPRAIN/STRAIN. WHILE THERE ARE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS TO PRACTICING YOGA, PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE WISHING TO BECOME PARTICIPANTS SHOULD CONFER WITH A PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PRACTICE ONLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. 2016 10 1676 30 OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF EXERCISE INTENSITY DURING THERMO-NEUTRAL AND HOT YOGA. WHILE HOT YOGA HAS GAINED ENORMOUS POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS, OWING IN PART TO INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE ASSOCIATED WITH EXERCISE IN THE HEAT, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER HOT YOGA IS MORE VIGOROUS THAN THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA. THEREFORE, THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF EXERCISE INTENSITY DURING CONSTANT INTENSITY YOGA IN A HOT AND THERMO-NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT. USING A RANDOMIZED, CROSSOVER DESIGN, 14 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 2 IDENTICAL APPROXIMATELY 20-MIN YOGA SESSIONS IN A HOT (35.3 +/- 0.8 DEGREES C; HUMIDITY: 20.5% +/- 1.4%) AND THERMO-NEUTRAL (22.1 +/- 0.2 DEGREES C; HUMIDITY: 27.8% +/- 1.6%) ENVIRONMENT. OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND HEART RATE (HR) WERE RECORDED AS OBJECTIVE MEASURES (PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL HR (%HRMAX)) AND RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) WAS RECORDED AS A SUBJECTIVE MEASURE OF EXERCISE INTENSITY. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN EXERCISE INTENSITY BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA (30.9% +/- 2.3% VS. 30.5% +/- 1.8%, P = 0.68). HOWEVER, EXERCISE INTENSITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA BASED ON %HRMAX (67.0% +/- 2.3% VS. 60.8% +/- 1.9%, P = 0.01) AND RPE (12 +/- 1 VS. 11 +/- 1, P = 0.04). ACCORDING TO ESTABLISHED EXERCISE INTENSITIES, HOT YOGA WAS CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION BUT MODERATE-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON %HRMAX AND RPE WHILE THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA WAS CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE, %HRMAX, AND RPE. DESPITE THE ADDED HEMODYNAMIC STRESS AND PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS MORE STRENUOUS IN A HOT ENVIRONMENT, WE OBSERVED SIMILAR OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA, CLASSIFYING BOTH EXERCISE MODALITIES AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE. 2018 11 2537 32 YOGA EXPERIENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS IN WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH HIGH LEVELS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING (SWB) ARE COMMON IN OLD AGE, A SUBSET OF OLDER INDIVIDUALS IS DISPROPORTIONATELY VULNERABLE TO NEGATIVE AFFECT. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY SHORT-TERM BENEFITS, BUT RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT DETERMINED WHETHER A LONG-TERM OR FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE INCREASINGLY PROTECTS OLDER WOMEN FROM LOW LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES, TRANSCENDENCE, MENTAL MASTERY, AND SUBJECTIVE VITALITY IN A SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS OVER 45 YEARS VARIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED ONLINE SURVEYS TO A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF 211 FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS 45 TO 80. WE USED WEIGHTED LEAST SQUARES REGRESSION ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE RELATIONSHIP OF EXTENT OF YOGA EXPERIENCE TO THE OUTCOME VARIABLES AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD PRACTICED YOGA FOR AS LONG AS 50 YEARS AND FOR UP TO 28 H PER WEEK. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA EXPERIENCE AND ALL OUTCOME VARIABLES. THESE SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS REMAINED AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WHEN WE COMPUTED YOGA EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF TOTAL CALENDAR YEARS, WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR HOURS OF PRACTICE, SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS DID NOT REMAIN. TRANSCENDENCE OF THE ORDINARY WAS THE MOST STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY, AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES WERE THE MOST STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH TOTAL LIFETIME HOURS OF PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: AMONG A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS BETWEEN 45 AND 80 YEARS, INCREASED YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTED INCREASED LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. RESULTS SHOWED A DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECT, WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE EXERCISING AN INCREASINGLY PROTECTIVE EFFECT AGAINST LOW LEVELS OF SWB AND VITALITY. 2013 12 1451 34 INFLUENCE OF INTENSIVE YOGA TRAINING ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN 6 ADULT WOMEN: A CASE REPORT. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF 4 WEEKS OF INTENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN SIX HEALTHY ADULT FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WERE MEASURED USING THE MAXIMAL EXERCISE TREADMILL TEST. YOGA PRACTICE INVOLVED DAILY MORNING AND EVENING SESSIONS OF 90 MINUTES EACH. PRE- AND POST-YOGA EXERCISE PERFORMANCE WAS COMPARED. MAXIMAL WORK OUTPUT (WMAX) FOR THE GROUP INCREASED BY 21%, WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED LEVEL OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION PER UNIT WORK BUT WITHOUT A CONCOMITANT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HEART RATE. AFTER INTENSIVE YOGA TRAINING, AT 154 WMIN(-1) (CORRESPONDING TO WMAX OF THE PRE-YOGA MAXIMAL EXERCISE TEST) PARTICIPANTS COULD EXERCISE MORE COMFORTABLY, WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEART RATE (P < 0.05), REDUCED MINUTE VENTILATION (P < 0.05), REDUCED OXYGEN CONSUMPTION PER UNIT WORK (P < 0.05), AND A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RESPIRATORY QUOTIENT (P < 0.05). THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EFFECT OF INTENSIVE YOGA ON CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY ARE DISCUSSED, WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT YOGA HAS SOME TRANSPARENTLY DIFFERENT QUANTIFIABLE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS TO OTHER EXERCISES. 1997 13 1440 30 INCREASED HATHA YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTS LOWER BODY MASS INDEX AND REDUCED MEDICATION USE IN WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY SHORT-TERM HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE BENEFITS ACCRUE OVER A LONG TIME FRAME OR WITH FREQUENT PRACTICE. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND MEDICATION USE IN A SAMPLE OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS OVER 45 YEARS VARIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED ONLINE SURVEYS TO 211 FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS AGED 45 TO 80 YEARS. WE USED REGRESSION ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE RELATIONSHIP OF EXTENT OF YOGA EXPERIENCE TO BOTH BMI AND MEDICATION USE AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED COMPARISONS WITH 182 MATCHED CONTROLS. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD PRACTICED YOGA FOR AS LONG AS 50 YEARS AND FOR UP TO 28 HOURS PER WEEK. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INVERSE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA EXPERIENCE AND BOTH BMI AND MEDICATION LOAD. THESE SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS REMAINED AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR AGE AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. WHEN WE COMPUTED YOGA EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF TOTAL CALENDAR YEARS, WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR HOURS OF PRACTICE, SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS DID NOT REMAIN. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO OBESITY IN THE 49 PARTICIPANTS WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE LESS LIKELY THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS TO USE MEDICATION FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME, MOOD DISORDERS, INFLAMMATION, AND PAIN. CONCLUSIONS: A LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LITTLE OR NO OBESITY IN A NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF WOMEN OVER 45 YEARS. RELATIONSHIPS SHOWED A DOSE-RESPONSE EFFECT, WITH INCREASED YOGA EXPERIENCE PREDICTING LOWER BMI AND REDUCED MEDICATION USE. 2011 14 1150 38 ENHANCING ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER MALE VETERANS AFTER CANCER: EXAMINING BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE CLINICAL INTERVENTION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. MOST STUDIES OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CANCER PATIENTS REPORT ON PREDOMINANTLY MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA IN OLDER ADULTS, VETERANS, AND THOSE FROM DIVERSE RACIAL OR ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. METHODS: WE EXAMINED STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA IN OLDER VETERANS AFTER CANCER, FOCUSING ON EDUCATION (STUDY 1) AND INTERVENTION (STUDY 2). STUDY 1 INCLUDED 110 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 64.9 (9.4) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (99%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED 12 MONTHS AFTER THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STUDY 2 INCLUDED 28 PARTICIPANTS WITH A MEDIAN (SD) AGE OF 69.2 (10.9) YEARS WHO WERE MOSTLY MALE (96%) CANCER SURVIVORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN 3 YEARS OF THEIR CANCER DIAGNOSIS. STANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS ASSESSED INTEREST IN AND BARRIERS TO YOGA WHILE SELF-REPORTING ASSESSED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. RESULTS: IN STUDY 1, INTEREST IN YOGA INCREASED FROM 5.5 TO 31.8% (CHI (2) = 22.25, P < .001) FOLLOWING EDUCATION. IN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS 4 THEMES RELATED TO NEGATIVE BELIEFS OR BARRIERS EMERGED: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR SKEPTICISM, DISINTEREST OR DISLIKE, PHYSICAL HEALTH BARRIERS, AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS. IN STUDY 2, BELIEFS WERE MORE POSITIVE FOLLOWING INTERVENTION FOR EXPECTED BENEFITS (T = 4.44, P < .001), DISCOMFORT (T = 4.92, P < .001), AND SOCIAL NORMS (T = 4.38, P < .001) RELATED TO YOGA. PHYSICAL FUNCTION IMPROVED AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH HIGHER BELIEFS IN YOGA PRIOR TO CLASS. AGE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA IN EITHER SAMPLE. CONCLUSIONS: A PORTION OF OLDER VETERANS WHO ARE CANCER SURVIVORS WERE INTERESTED IN YOGA BUT FACED ACCESS BARRIERS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH INCLUDE INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA BENEFITS AND ADDRESSING PHYSICAL HEALTH AND LOGISTICAL BARRIERS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO YOGA FOR OLDER VETERANS. 2021 15 291 36 ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED FOR HEALTH PURPOSES, ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS TO ANALYZE YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EFFECTS AND THEIR CORRELATES. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY AMONG GERMAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 1702; 88.9% FEMALE; 47.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS) WAS CONDUCTED FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2016. PARTICIPANTS WERE QUERIED REGARDING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, I.E. YOGA STYLES USED, LENGTH AND INTENSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE, PRACTICE PATTERNS, AND WHETHER THEY HAD EXPERIENCED ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED USING MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES. RESULTS: ASHTANGA YOGA (15.7%), TRADITIONAL HATHA YOGA (14.2%), AND SIVANANDA YOGA (22.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY USED YOGA STYLES. 364 (21.4%) YOGA USERS REPORTED 702 ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS, OCCURRING AFTER A MEAN OF 7.6 +/- 8.0 YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED YOGA PRACTICES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS (29.4%). USING VINIYOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECREASED RISK OF ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS; PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RISK. ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE PARTICIPANTS (10.2%) REPORTED 239 CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS. THE RISK OF CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WAS HIGHER IN PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND THOSE PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MOST REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS CONCERNED THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. 76.9% OF ACUTE CASES, AND 51.6% OF CHRONIC CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. ON AVERAGE 0.60 INJURIES (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.51-0.71) PER 1000 H OF PRACTICE WERE REPORTED, WITH POWER YOGA USERS REPORTING THE HIGHEST RATE (1.50 INJURIES PER 1000 H; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.98-3.15). CONCLUSIONS: ONE IN FIVE ADULT YOGA USERS REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECT IN THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND ONE IN TEN REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECT, MAINLY MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS. ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS; AND WITH YOGA SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF OF CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. BASED ON THE OVERALL INJURY RATE PER 1000 PRACTICE HOURS, YOGA APPEARS TO BE AS SAFE OR SAFER WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER EXERCISE TYPES. 2019 16 575 32 DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, AND CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTOR PROFILE IN YOGA AND NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS: NHANES 1999-2006. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE AND COMPARE THE DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH BEHAVIOR, AND CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK FACTOR CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICIPANTS WHO REPORT 1) PARTICIPATING IN YOGA, 2) NOT PARTICIPATING YOGA, OR 3) ARE INACTIVE, USING A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF U.S. ADULTS. DESIGN: STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE FROM THE 1999-2006 NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (NHANES) WHO SELF-REPORTED PARTICIPATION IN YOGA (N = 74), NO-YOGA (N = 3,753) OR WERE INACTIVE (N = 1,285). PARTICIPANTS IN THE NO-YOGA GROUP DID ENGAGE IN OTHER TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, WHILE THE INACTIVE GROUP REPORTED NO ACTIVITY DURING THE SURVEY PERIOD. RESULTS: YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY FEMALE (80.7%), COLLEGE EDUCATED (51.9%), MOSTLY NON-SMOKERS (46.9%), AND REPORTED MODERATE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION (72.1%). YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO HAVE AN ELEVATED WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (OR = 0.40, P < 0.01; OR = 0.30, P < 0.01), AND A LOW HDL (OR = 0.43, P = 0.03; OR = 0.34, P < 0.05) COMPARED TO BOTH NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE 61% LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ELEVATED BLOOD GLUCOSE COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PARTICIPANTS (OR = 0.39, P < 0.05). COMPARED TO INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS, YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE 52% (OR = 0.48, P < 0.05) AND 66% (OR = 0.34, P < 0.05) LESS LIKELY HAVE AN ELEVATED BODY MASS INDEX AND HAVE ELEVATED TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSIONS: GIVEN THE EMERGENCE OF YOGA AS A COMMON FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK. THIS STUDY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO USE NATIONALLY-REPRESENTATIVE DATA AND OBJECTIVELY MEASURED CARDIOMETABOLIC VARIABLES. KEY WORDS: COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, SURVEY, POPULATION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2019 17 756 31 EFFECT OF SIX WEEKS YOGA TRAINING ON WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING STEP TEST, RESPIRATORY PRESSURES, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE IN YOUNG HEALTHY SUBJECTS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO TEST WHETHER YOGA TRAINING OF SIX WEEKS DURATION MODULATES SWEATING RESPONSE TO DYNAMIC EXERCISE AND IMPROVES RESPIRATORY PRESSURES, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE. OUT OF 46 HEALTHY SUBJECTS (30 MALES AND 16 FEMALES, AGED 17-20 YR), 23 MOTIVATED SUBJECTS (15 MALE AND 8 FEMALE) WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING AND THE REMAINING 23 SUBJECTS SERVED AS CONTROLS. WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING HARVARD STEP TEST (AN INDEX OF SWEAT LOSS), MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE, 40 MM ENDURANCE, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE WERE DETERMINED BEFORE AND AFTER THE SIX WEEK STUDY PERIOD. IN THE YOGA GROUP, WEIGHT LOSS IN RESPONSE TO HARVARD STEP TEST WAS 64 +/- 30 G AFTER YOGA TRAINING AS COMPARED TO 161 +/- 133 G BEFORE THE TRAINING AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT (N = 15 MALE SUBJECTS, P < 0.0001). IN CONTRAST, WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING STEP TEST WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. YOGA TRAINING PRODUCED A MARKED INCREASE IN RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND ENDURANCE IN 40 MM HG TEST IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS (P < 0.05 FOR ALL COMPARISONS). IN CONCLUSION, THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATES ATTENUATION OF THE SWEATING RESPONSE TO STEP TEST BY YOGA TRAINING. FURTHER, YOGA TRAINING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF SIX WEEKS CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. 2008 18 1692 33 OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND RESPIRATION FOLLOWING TWO YOGA RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE A STATEMENT IN ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS THAT SUGGESTS THAT A COMBINATION OF BOTH "CALMING" AND "STIMULATING" MEASURES MAY BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IN REACHING A STATE OF MENTAL EQUILIBRIUM. TWO YOGA PRACTICES, ONE COMBINING "CALMING AND STIMULATING" MEASURES (CYCLIC MEDITATION) AND THE OTHER, A "CALMING" TECHNIQUE (SHAVASAN), WERE COMPARED. THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, BREATH RATE, AND BREATH VOLUME OF 40 MALE VOLUNTEERS (GROUP MEAN +/- SD, 27.0 +/- 5.7 YEARS) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER SESSIONS OF CYCLIC MEDITATION (CM) AND BEFORE AND AFTER SESSIONS OF SHAVASAN (SH). THE 2 SESSIONS (CM, SH) WERE 1 DAY APART. CYCLIC MEDITATION INCLUDES THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES INTERSPERSED WITH PERIODS OF SUPINE RELAXATION. DURING SH THE SUBJECT LIES IN A SUPINE POSITION THROUGHOUT THE PRACTICE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN CONSUMED AND IN BREATH RATE AND AN INCREASE IN BREATH VOLUME AFTER BOTH TYPES OF SESSIONS (2-FACTOR ANOVA, PAIRED T TEST). HOWEVER, THE MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE ON ALL 3 MEASURES WAS GREATER AFTER CM: (1) OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DECREASED 32.1% AFTER CM COMPARED WITH 10.1% AFTER SH; (2) BREATH RATE DECREASED 18.0% AFTER CM AND 15.2% AFTER SH; AND (3) BREATH VOLUME INCREASED 28.8% AFTER CM AND 15.9% AFTER SH. THESE RESULTS SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT A COMBINATION OF YOGA POSTURES INTERSPERSED WITH RELAXATION REDUCES AROUSAL MORE THAN RELAXATION ALONE DOES. 2000 19 700 25 EFFECT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE YOGA EXERCISE ON IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF OVERWEIGHT MIDDLE-AGED AND YOUNG WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE YOGA EXERCISE ON IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF OVERWEIGHT MIDDLE-AGED AND YOUNG WOMEN. DESIGN: 50 OVERWEIGHT MIDDLE-AGED AND YOUNG WOMEN FROM YOGA CLUBS WERE SELECTED. THE INDEXES OF THEIR CONSTITUTION, PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION WERE MEASURED AND COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER ONE YEAR OF UNINTERRUPTED HIGH TEMPERATURE YOGA EXERCISE. RESULTS: THE INDEXES OF THE SUBJECTS' CONSTITUTION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS WERE REMARKABLY UPLIFTED (P < 0.05); THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION WAS IMPROVED AS WELL. CONCLUSION: AEROBICS REPRESENTED BY HIGH TEMPERATURE YOGA CAN IMPROVE BODY SHAPE, LOWER LIPID, REDUCE WEIGHT, AND EXERT AN EVIDENT THERAPEUTIC EFFECT ON IMPROVING PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND BOOSTING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. 2014 20 2370 33 WHAT BRINGS YOUNG ADULTS TO THE YOGA MAT? CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROJECT EAT-IV SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA AND IDENTIFIES UNIQUE MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG A SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THIS STUDY FURTHER DETERMINES HOW YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES ASSOCIATE WITH PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. SUBJECTS/SETTING: SURVEY DATA WERE DRAWN FROM THE FOURTH WAVE OF A LARGE, POPULATION-BASED STUDY (PROJECT EAT-IV; EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS). DESIGN: LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS (LCA) WAS USED TO IDENTIFY MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG PROJECT EAT-IV PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING YOGA (N = 297; MEAN AGE: 30.8-1.7 YEARS; 79.7 % FEMALE). CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LATENT MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WERE DETERMINED WITH UNADJUSTED AND ADJUSTED (GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, AND BODY MASS INDEX) GENERAL LINEAR MODELS. RESULTS: ACROSS MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, MOST YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MOTIVATED BY ENHANCED FITNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION/RELAXATION. ADDITIONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA CLUSTERED BY APPEARANCE (DESIRE TO CHANGE BODY APPEARANCE OR WEIGHT) OR MINDFULNESS (DESIRE TO INCREASE PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS) UNDERPINNINGS. THE LCA CHARACTERIZED MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AS "LOW APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 1; N = 77), "LOW APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 2; N = 48), "HIGH APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 3; N = 79), AND "HIGH APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 4; N = 93). HAVING A PROFILE WITH HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 2) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSES (P < 0.001). RELATIVE TO CLASS 2, THOSE WITH LOW MINDFULNESS MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 1; CLASS 3) REPORTED LESS TOTAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (P = 0.002) AND THOSE WITH HIGH APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 3; CLASS 4) REPORTED HIGHER COMPULSIVE EXERCISE SCORES (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: IN THIS SAMPLE, HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA APPEARED OPTIMAL FOR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. CROSS-SECTIONAL FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MIND-BODY HEALTH MAY BE SUPPORTED BY MOTIVATIONAL UNDERPINNINGS THAT EMPHASIZE YOGA'S INTERNAL (MINDFULNESS) RATHER THAN EXTERNAL (APPEARANCE) BENEFITS. 2022