1 1974 117 SILVER YOGA EXERCISES IMPROVED PHYSICAL FITNESS OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. BACKGROUND: PROMOTING THE HEALTH OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS (E.G., THROUGH THERAPEUTIC-BASED YOGA EXERCISES) IS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES CAUSED BY CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF 24 WEEKS OF THE SENIOR-TAILORED SILVER YOGA (SY) EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. METHODS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 69 ELDERS IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES WERE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO THE SY GROUP (N = 38) OR TO THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 31) ON THE BASIS OF THE FACILITIES WHERE THEY RESIDED, AND 55 OF THEM COMPLETED THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST AND POSTTEST STUDY. INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR 24 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS (BODY COMPOSITION, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, BODY FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE POWER AND ENDURANCE, BALANCE, AND AGILITY) WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, AT 12 WEEKS, AND AT THE END OF THE 24TH WEEK OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE STUDY, THE PHYSICAL FITNESS INDICATORS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SY GROUP HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THEY HAD BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS THAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P VALUES < .05). DISCUSSION: IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SY EXERCISES BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAM IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES TO PROMOTE THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. 2010 2 502 36 COMMUNITY VS. INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS' EVALUATIONS OF AND PREFERENCES FOR YOGA EXERCISES. AIMS: TO EVALUATE AND COMPARE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS AND TO DETERMINE THEIR PREFERENCES TOWARDS YOGA EXERCISES. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN USED TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF ELDERS. THE SILVER YOGA WAS DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE PHYSICAL TOLERANCE AND BODY FLEXIBILITY OF ELDERS AND APPLIED TO COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS WITH POSITIVE HEALTH PROMOTION BENEFITS. DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN WITH QUANTITATIVE PROGRAMME EVALUATION AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. METHOD: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 97 PARTICIPANTS (64 COMMUNITY ELDERS; 33 INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS) WAS INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY AFTER SIX MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES. PARTICIPANTS RATED THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY, ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS OF THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME (FOUR PHASES: WARM-UP, HATHA YOGA, RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION) AND THE ABDOMINAL BREATHING TECHNIQUE, BASED ON A 10-POINT CANTRIL LADDER SCALE. FURTHER, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED THEIR PREFERENCES OF YOGA EXERCISES BASED ON FOUR OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. RESULTS: THE PROGRAMME WAS FAIRLY ACCEPTABLE, FEASIBLE AND HELPFUL FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS (MEANS RANGED FROM 8.33-9.70). THE WARM-UP, RELAXATION, GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION AND ABDOMINAL BREATHING ARE FAIRLY EASY TO FOLLOW AND PERFORM (MEANS RANGED FROM 0.20-0.94). HOWEVER, THE POSTURES IN HATHA YOGA PHASE WERE RELATIVELY CHALLENGING BUT STILL MANAGEABLE FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS (MEAN = 1.97, SD 2.33). FURTHER, COMMUNITY ELDERS PREFERRED TO PRACTISE YOGA 61-90 MINUTES EVERYDAY IN A GROUP OF 11-20, WHILE THE INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS PREFERRED TO PRACTISE YOGA 31-60 MINUTES THREE TIMES PER WEEK, IN A GROUP OF <10. CONCLUSIONS: THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME IS ACCEPTABLE, FEASIBLE, HELPFUL AND MANAGEABLE FOR COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS. HOWEVER, DIFFERENT EXERCISE PROTOCOLS, SUCH AS PRACTICE INTENSITY AND GROUP SIZE, COULD BE APPLIED TO DIFFERENT OLDER POPULATIONS. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME COULD BE APPLIED TO BOTH COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL ELDERS TO PROMOTE THEIR HEALTH. 2011 3 1742 72 PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AFTER 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PROMOTING PHYSICAL FITNESS OF YOUNG-OLDER ADULTS IS ESSENTIAL IN REDUCING HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES WHICH WOULD OCCUR IN THE FUTURE FOR THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME WAS DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE REDUCED BODY FLEXIBILITY EXPERIENCED BY MANY OLDER ADULTS AND WAS CRITICALLY REVIEWED BY EXPERTS AND PILOT-TESTED WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST OLDER ADULTS' PHYSICAL FITNESS AFTER A 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER THE PROGRAMME COULD BE FURTHER SHORTENED TO FIT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES' PROGRAMME DESIGNS. DESIGN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, PRE-POST TESTS DESIGN WAS USED: BASELINE, AT 12-WEEK AND AT 24-WEEK PERIODS. METHODS: CONVENIENCE SAMPLES OF 204 SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED FROM EIGHT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AND 176 SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THREE GROUPS BASED ON THE CENTRES: (1) EXPERIMENT I: COMPLETE SILVER YOGA WITH STRETCHING AND MEDITATION, (2) EXPERIMENT II: SHORTENED SILVER YOGA WITHOUT THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION AND (3) WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE INTERVENTIONS WERE CONDUCTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR 24 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS INDICATORS INCLUDED BODY COMPOSITIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS AND THE RANGE OF MOTION. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE 24-WEEK PERIOD, THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF SUBJECTS IN EXPERIMENTS I AND II HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED WHETHER OR NOT GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION WAS USED AND ALL HAD BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS THAN SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN BOTH THE 70-MINUTE COMPLETE SILVER YOGA GROUP AND THE 55-MINUTE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME BE SHORTENED BY ELIMINATING THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME IS RECOMMENDED TO BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAMME IN COMMUNITY-SETTINGS TO PROMOTE THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS. 2008 4 1082 74 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SLEEP QUALITY AND DEPRESSION IN ELDERS IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. BACKGROUND: BEING RELOCATED TO AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY CAN RESULT IN SLEEP DISTURBANCES AND DEPRESSION IN ELDERS. THIS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO OR WORSENED BY LACK OF REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. APPROPRIATE EXERCISE PROGRAMS MAY BE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS GROUP OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF A 6-MONTH YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM IN IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY AND DECREASING DEPRESSION IN TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS LIVING IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST-AND-POSTTEST DESIGN WAS USED. A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 69 ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES WAS DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO A YOGA EXERCISE (N = 38) AND CONTROL GROUP (N = 31) BASED ON RESIDENCE LOCATION. A TOTAL OF 55 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE INTERVENTION WAS IMPLEMENTED IN THREE SMALL GROUPS, AND EACH PRACTICE GROUP WAS LED BY TWO PRETRAINED CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTORS THREE TIMES PER WEEK AT 70 MIN PER PRACTICE SESSION FOR 24 WEEKS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES OF SLEEP QUALITY (PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX) AND DEPRESSION STATE (TAIWANESE DEPRESSION QUESTIONNAIRE) WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, AT THE 12TH WEEK, AND AT THE 24TH WEEK OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PERFORMING YOGA EXERCISES, PARTICIPANTS' OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED, WHEREAS DEPRESSION, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, AND DAYTIME DYSFUNCTION HAD DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .05). IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP HAD BETTER RESULTS ON ALL OUTCOME INDICATORS THAN THOSE OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA EXERCISE BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAM IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES OR IN OTHER LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND DECREASE DEPRESSION IN INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERS. 2010 5 2462 24 YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM FOR WHITE AND BLACK ELDERS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. A TEN-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED WITH SIXTY-ONE WHITE AND FORTY-FIVE LOW-INCOME BLACK ELDERS AT TWO COMMUNITY SITES, ALONG WITH A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP RESEARCH DESIGN WITH RANDOM ASSIGNMENT AT EACH SITE. WHITE ELDERS ATTENDED CLASS REGULARLY, PRACTICED YOGA ON THEIR OWN ON A DAILY BASIS, IMPROVED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND LOWERED THEIR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE LEVEL, IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROL GROUP. BLACK ELDERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ATTENDED THE ONCE-A-WEEK CLASS REGULARLY BUT DID NOT PRACTICE ON THEIR OWN ON A DAILY BASIS. THUS, THEY DID NOT IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING NOR REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE LEVEL IN COMPARISON TO A CONTROL GROUP. SOCIAL ANALYSTS SUGGEST THAT LOW-INCOME MINORITY ELDERS NEED MORE FREQUENT CONTACT WITH STRUCTURED LEADERSHIP IN ORDER TO ADHERE TO A DAILY ROUTINE THAT MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGE. OTHER DIRECTIONS FOR CONTROLLED FOLLOW-UP STUDIES ARE SUGGESTED. 1983 6 2347 59 USING SILVER YOGA EXERCISES TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERS WITH DEMENTIA IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, PRETEST-POST-TEST DESIGN WAS USED. A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 68 RESIDENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN, AGED 60 YEARS AND ABOVE WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEMENTIA, WAS SELECTED. AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF 33 ELDERS PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM OF THREE 55-MINUTE SESSIONS A WEEK; A CONTROL GROUP OF 35 ELDERS MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL DAILY ACTIVITIES. DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER COMPLETING THE 12-WEEK STUDY. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED BODY COMPOSITION, CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTIONS, BODY FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, BALANCE, JOINTS MOTION, DEPRESSION, AND PROBLEM BEHAVIORS. RESULTS: THE YOGA-TRAINED PARTICIPANTS HAD BETTER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH THAN THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE, INCLUDING LOWERED BLOOD PRESSURE, REDUCED RESPIRATION RATE, STRENGTHENED CARDIOPULMONARY FITNESS, ENHANCED BODY FLEXIBILITY, IMPROVED MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, IMPROVED BALANCE, AND INCREASED JOINTS MOTION (ALL P VALUES < 0.05). IN ADDITION, THE DEPRESSION STATE (P < 0.001) AND PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (P < 0.001) OF THESE DEMENTED ELDERS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. CONCLUSION: YOGA EXERCISE HAS POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERS WITH DEMENTIA LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA BE INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE ROUTINE ACTIVITIES IN THESE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. 2011 7 1752 43 PILOT-TESTING THE EFFECTS OF A NEWLY-DEVELOPED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO PILOT-TEST THE HEALTH PROMOTION EFFECTS OF A SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. USING A ONE-GROUP, PRE-POST TEST DESIGN, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 16 COMMUNITY-DWELLING FEMALE SENIORS WAS RECRUITED. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION WAS ADMINISTERED THREE TIMES A WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR FOUR WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FOUR-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS' BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED, BALANCE AND RANGE OF MOTION ON SHOULDER FLEXION AND ABDUCTION IMPROVED, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE WAS MINIMIZED (ALL P < .05). PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM PROVIDES POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PROMOTION OF GOOD HEALTH IN FEMALE SENIORS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES. 2008 8 2718 43 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 9 1249 32 FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CHRONIC PAIN AMONG ELDERLY ADULTS IN ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING. CONTEXT: YOGA IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERS >/=65 YEARS, BUT STUDIES AMONG ELDERS WITH CHRONIC PAIN ARE LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF GENTLE YOGA AMONG ELDERS IN ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING. DESIGN: SINGLE ARM PRE/POST CLINICAL TRIAL. SUBJECTS: ADULTS (>/=65 YEARS OF AGE) WITH SELF-IDENTIFIED CHRONIC PAIN (>/=3 ON A 10-POINT SCALE, LASTING FOR >/=3 MONTHS) AND NO CURRENT YOGA PRACTICE. INTERVENTION: TEN WEEKLY 60-MIN GENTLE YOGA CLASSES TAILORED TO ELDERLY ADULTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: AT BASELINE, WEEKS 5, 10 (END OF INTERVENTION), AND 20 (FOLLOW-UP), WE COLLECTED DATA ON FEASIBILITY (ADHERENCE, RETENTION, SAFETY), PAIN, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION. RESULTS: TWENTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED (88% WOMEN, 77% WHITE, 58% IN ASSISTED LIVING) WITH AVERAGE AGE OF 86.6 +/- 4.4 (MEAN, STD). TWENTY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, WITH 90% ADHERING (COMPLETING >/=6 CLASSES). NINE PARTICIPANTS (45% OF COMPLETERS) EXPERIENCED ADVERSE EVENTS, WHICH WERE NON-SERIOUS AND RELATED TO TRANSIENT MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. NO ADVERSE EVENTS RESULTED IN STUDY WITHDRAWAL. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING SOMEWHAT LIKELY TO RECOMMEND YOGA TO A FRIEND, AND QUITE A BIT LIKELY TO DO YOGA AGAIN. AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION, FOUR OF TWENTY PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA OUTSIDE OF CLASS. ANXIETY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM 5.80 (SE=0.90) TO 4.44 (SE=0.74) (P = 0.014), BUT THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN OTHER MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: OUR PILOT 10-WEEK YOGA STUDY WAS GENERALLY SAFE FOR AND SUITABLE TO ASSISTED AND INDEPENDENT LIVING ELDERLY ADULTS. FUTURE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE OTHER EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ASSISTED/INDEPENDENT LIVING ADULTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN. 2022 10 671 35 EFFECT OF A GENTLE IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON GAIT IN THE ELDERLY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE IF A TAILORED YOGA PROGRAM COULD IMPROVE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN HIP EXTENSION, STRIDE LENGTH, AND ASSOCIATED INDICES OF GAIT FUNCTION IN HEALTHY ELDERS, CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN LINKED TO INCREASED RISK FOR FALLS, DEPENDENCY, AND MORTALITY IN GERIATRIC POPULATIONS. DESIGN: SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST TEST EXPLORATORY STUDY. A 3-DIMENSIONAL QUANTITATIVE GAIT EVALUATION, INCLUDING KINEMATIC AND KINETIC MEASUREMENTS, WAS PERFORMED PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. CHANGES OVER TIME (BASELINE TO POSTINTERVENTION) IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE ASSESSED USING REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. SETTING: YOGA EXERCISES WERE PERFORMED IN AN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER (GROUP CLASSES) AND IN THE SUBJECTS' HOMES (YOGA HOME-PRACTICE ASSIGNMENTS). PRE- AND POSTASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED IN A GAIT LABORATORY. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-THREE HEALTHY ADULTS (AGE RANGE, 62-83 Y) WHO WERE NAIVE TO YOGA WERE RECRUITED; 19 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. INTERVENTION: AN 8-WEEK IYENGAR HATHA YOGA PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO ELDERLY PERSONS AND DESIGNED TO IMPROVE LOWER-BODY STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED TWO 90-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK, AND WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE AT LEAST 20 MINUTES OF DIRECTED HOME PRACTICE ON ALTERNATE DAYS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PEAK HIP EXTENSION, AVERAGE ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT, AND STRIDE LENGTH AT COMFORTABLE WALKING SPEED. RESULTS: PEAK HIP EXTENSION AND STRIDE LENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (F1,18=15.44, P<.001; F1,18=5.57, P=.03, RESPECTIVELY). WE ALSO OBSERVED A TREND TOWARD REDUCED AVERAGE PELVIC TILT (F1,18=4.10, P=.06); ADJUSTING FOR THE MODIFYING INFLUENCE OF FREQUENCY OF HOME YOGA PRACTICE STRENGTHENED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ASSOCIATION (ADJUSTED F1,17=14.30, P=.001). BOTH THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF YOGA HOME PRACTICE SHOWED A STRONG, LINEAR, DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP TO CHANGES IN HIP EXTENSION AND AVERAGE PELVIC TILT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE MAY IMPROVE HIP EXTENSION, INCREASE STRIDE LENGTH, AND DECREASE ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT IN HEALTHY ELDERS, AND THAT YOGA PROGRAMS TAILORED TO ELDERLY ADULTS MAY OFFER A COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PREVENTING OR REDUCING AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THESE INDICES OF GAIT FUNCTION. 2005 11 666 32 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 12 2077 29 THE EFFECT OF CHAIR YOGA IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MODERATE AND SEVERE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. USING A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL SINGLE-GROUP DESIGN, THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OLDER ADULTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD)-TYPE DEMENTIA TO COMPLETE THE SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM. PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM WAS MEASURED. THE NINE OLDER ADULTS WITH AD (MEAN AGE = 83) PARTICIPATED IN THE 8-WEEK SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM. TO MEASURE PHYSICAL FUNCTION, THE SIX-MINUTE WALK TEST, THE GAIT SPEED TEST, AND THE BERG BALANCE SCALE WERE ADMINISTERED AT PRE-INTERVENTION, 4 WEEKS, 8 WEEKS, AND 1 MONTH AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. POSITIVE CHANGES WERE SEEN ACROSS ALL PHYSICAL MEASURES. FURTHER STUDY, USING A LARGER SAMPLE AND INCLUDING A CONTROL GROUP, IS NEEDED TO FULLY DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM ON OLDER ADULTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE AD. 2014 13 1982 52 SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION STATE, AND HEALTH STATUS OF OLDER ADULTS AFTER SILVER YOGA EXERCISES: CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: SLEEP DISTURBANCES, DEPRESSION, AND LOW PERCEPTION OF HEALTH STATUS ARE COMMONLY SEEN IN ELDERLY POPULATION; HOWEVER, CLINICIANS TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE OR OVERLOOK THE PRESENCE OF THESE SYMPTOMS AND ASSUME THEM TO BE A PART OF NORMAL AGING. NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS THAT PROMOTE A MIND-BODY INTERACTION SHOULD BE TESTED TO ENHANCE THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES IN PROMOTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS, ESPECIALLY THEIR SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION, AND SELF-PERCEPTION OF HEALTH STATUS. DESIGN: CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. SETTINGS: EIGHT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS, SOUTHERN TAIWAN. PARTICIPANTS: A SAMPLE OF 139 PARTICIPANTS WAS RECRUITED, AND 128 OF THEM COMPLETED THE STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS AGES 60 AND OVER, (2) NO PREVIOUS TRAINING IN YOGA, (3) ABLE TO WALK WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, (4) COGNITIVELY ALERT BASED ON THE SHORT PORTABLE MENTAL STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE (SPMSQ) SCORE OF EIGHT OR HIGHER, AND (5) INDEPENDENT OR MILDLY DEPENDENT IN SELF-CARE BASED ON A BARTHEL INDEX (BI) SCORE OF 91 OR HIGHER. THE MEAN AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 69.20 +/- 6.23 YEARS, AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHRONIC ILLNESS WAS 0.83 +/- 0.90. THE AVERAGE BI SCORE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 99.92 +/- 0.62, AND THE MEAN SPMSQ SCORE WAS 9.90 +/- 0.30. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL (N=62) OR THE CONTROL (N=66) GROUP BASED ON ATTENDANCE AT SELECTED SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS. A 70-MIN SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR 6 MONTHS AS THE INTERVENTION FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. RESULTS: MOST OF THE MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE SILVER YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND MANY OF THE INDICATORS IMPROVED AFTER 3 MONTHS OF INTERVENTION AND WERE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE 6 MONTHS STUDY. THE MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE ALL BETTER THAN THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: AFTER 6 MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES, THE SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION, AND HEALTH STATUS OF OLDER ADULTS WERE ALL IMPROVED. 2009 14 592 39 DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR OLDER ADULTS. AIM: THIS STUDY REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A NEW YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR OLDER ADULTS, CALLED THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH NUMEROUS HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING REDUCED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, BODY MASS INDEX AND BLOOD PRESSURE. YOGA IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED RESPIRATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND PAIN MANAGEMENT. STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE OLDER POPULATION. METHOD: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 2005 AND IT HAD TWO PHASES. PHASE I CONSISTED OF SENDING A SURVEY TO 10 EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME. A HARD COPY AND A VIDEO CONTAINING DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE PROGRAMME WERE THEN SENT TO THE EXPERTS FOR REVIEW AND CRITIQUE REGARDING THE CLARITY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE YOGA POSTURES. PHASE II WAS AN ENQUIRY INTO OLDER ADULTS' VIEWS ON THE PROGRAMME USING A QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION AND SEMI-STRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INQUIRY. FOURTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPANTS FROM A SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRE WERE INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY AFTER 1 MONTH OF SILVER YOGA GROUP PRACTICE, THREE TIMES PER WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION. THEY WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF POSTURES BASED ON THE CRITERIA OF DIFFICULTY, ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS. FIVE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO REFLECT ON THEIR YOGA EXPERIENCES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS' MEAN RATINGS OF THE ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND HELPFULNESS OF THE FOUR ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMME (WARM-UP, HATHA YOGA, RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION) RANGED FROM 8.8 +/- 1.9 TO 9.3 +/- 1.5; MEAN RATINGS OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PROGRAMME REVEALED THAT RELAXATION AND GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION WERE FAIRLY EASY TO FOLLOW (0.1 +/- 0.3 AND 0.1 +/- 0.3 RESPECTIVELY), BUT THE POSTURES IN THE HATHA YOGA WERE RELATIVELY CHALLENGING (2.1 +/- 2.6). CONCLUSION: THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME SHOULD UNDERGO FURTHER PILOT-TESTING WITH LARGER SAMPLES OF OLDER ADULTS BEFORE IT IS TAKEN UP INTERNATIONALLY AS A HEALTH-PROMOTION ACTIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS. 2007 15 2134 37 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 16 965 34 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 17 107 41 A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE EFFECTS OF CHAIR YOGA ON PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA, COMPARED TO A HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM (HEP), ON PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) WHO COULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN STANDING EXERCISE. DESIGN: TWO-ARM RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: ONE HUD SENIOR HOUSING FACILITY AND ONE DAY SENIOR CENTER IN SOUTH FLORIDA. PARTICIPANTS: COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS (N = 131) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO CHAIR YOGA (N = 66) OR HEP (N = 65). THIRTEEN DROPPED AFTER ASSIGNMENT BUT PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION; SIX DROPPED DURING THE INTERVENTION; 106 OF 112 COMPLETED AT LEAST 12 OF 16 SESSIONS (95% RETENTION RATE). INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED EITHER CHAIR YOGA OR HEP. BOTH INTERVENTIONS CONSISTED OF TWICE-WEEKLY 45-MINUTE SESSIONS FOR 8 WEEKS. MEASUREMENTS: PRIMARY: PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE; SECONDARY: BALANCE, GAIT SPEED, FATIGUE, FUNCTIONAL ABILITY MEASURED AT BASELINE, AFTER 4 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION, AT THE END OF THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION, AND POST-INTERVENTION (1 AND 3 MONTHS). RESULTS: THE CHAIR YOGA GROUP SHOWED GREATER REDUCTION IN PAIN INTERFERENCE DURING THE INTERVENTION (P = .01), SUSTAINED THROUGH 3 MONTHS (P = .022). WOMAC PAIN (P = .048), GAIT SPEED (P = .024), AND FATIGUE (P = .037) WERE IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION (P = .048) BUT IMPROVEMENTS WERE NOT SUSTAINED POST INTERVENTION. CHAIR YOGA HAD NO EFFECT ON BALANCE. CONCLUSION: AN 8-WEEK CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCTION IN PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE, AND FATIGUE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN GAIT SPEED, BUT ONLY THE EFFECTS ON PAIN INTERFERENCE WERE SUSTAINED 3 MONTHS POST INTERVENTION. CHAIR YOGA SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED AS A NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTION FOR OLDER PEOPLE WITH OA IN THE LOWER EXTREMITIES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410. 2017 18 445 24 CHAIR YOGA: FEASIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDY WITH OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS STUDY MEASURED THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPLETING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL ON AN 8-WEEK SEATED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. PART OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PARTICIPANTS WOULD CONTINUE THE YOGA PRACTICE AT HOME USING A GUIDE BOOK AFTER THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM. FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE PARTICIPANTS WERE NOT IN A GROUP SETTING FOR THE YOGA, THEY DID NOT CONTINUE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THIS OUTCOME DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR GROUP PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO PROMOTE ADHERENCE TO MOVEMENT-BASED PROGRAMS. (TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410). 2017 19 2769 26 YOGA REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND EXHAUSTION LEVELS IN HEALTHY ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS. UNLABELLED: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED WHETHER A 7-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COULD IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTION, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND MENTAL/EMOTIONAL WELLNESS IN ELDERLY PARTICIPANTS. METHODS: 8 PARTICIPANTS (66.5 +/- 0.3 YEARS) ATTENDED 2 60-MIN HATHA YOGA SESSIONS/WEEK FOR 7 WEEKS, AND PERFORMED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENTS. BALANCE WAS ASSESSED USING A 5-TEST BATTERY. FLEXIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY SIT-AND-REACH AND SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY TESTS. FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY TESTS INCLUDED 8-FT UP-AND-GO, 5 CHAIR STANDS, AND 4-M WALK. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SF-12, EXHAUSTION LEVEL, AND PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) QUESTIONNAIRES. RESULTS: SF-12 MENTAL COMPONENT SUMMARY SCORES, EXHAUSTION LEVELS, AND PSS SCORES IMPROVED POST-INTERVENTION. NO DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR PHYSICAL FUNCTION MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PARTICIPATION CAN IMPROVE MENTAL/EMOTIONAL WELLNESS, EXHAUSTION LEVELS, AND STRESS LEVELS IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS, EVEN WITHOUT MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL FUNCTION. CLINICIANS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WHO WORK WITH THE ELDERLY SHOULD CONSIDER YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC MODALITY FOR IMPROVING IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS POPULATION. 2016 20 608 33 DEVELOPMENT OF A FALLS REDUCTION YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS-A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WORK WITH LOCAL RURAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP AN EVIDENCE-BASED HATHA YOGA PROGRAM INTENDED TO IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH AND BALANCE TO REDUCE FALLS RISK. FEASIBILITY DETERMINED BY SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING, INTERVENTION AND EVALUATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND ACCEPTABLE FREQUENCY OF ADVERSE EVENTS. DESIGN: SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY. SETTING: RURAL WISCONSIN TOWN OF 4200 PEOPLE. INTERVENTION: EIGHT WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WITH WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES AND HOME YOGA PRACTICE THREE TIMES PER WEEK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE (1) ABILITY TO ENROLL AT LEAST 20 PARTICIPANTS, (2) PARTICIPANT COMPLETION OF INTERVENTION AND POST-INTERVENTION EVALUATION, AND (3) ADVERSE EVENT DESCRIPTION AND FREQUENCY. RESULTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 ADULTS OVER AGE 59 WAS ENROLLED AND STARTED THE PROGRAM WITH ONE DROP OUT. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEAN OF 7.1 (SD 1.47) OF THE 8 CLASSES AND A TOTAL OF 141 OUT OF 160 (88.1%) CLASSES. NINETEEN (95%) COMPLETED FOLLOW UP EVALUATION. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED 4 FALLS IN THE MONTH BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND 1 FALL THE MONTH BEFORE THE POST-INTERVENTION EVALUATION (P=0.34). NO OTHER SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PROJECT SUGGESTS AN EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH AND BALANCE IS FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE TO PARTICIPANTS. FUTURE RESEARCH WILL INCLUDE A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO ASSESS IMPACT ON FALLS RISK. 2017