1 884 93 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 2 896 32 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 3 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 4 965 32 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 5 756 30 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 6 1008 34 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 7 973 38 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 8 537 31 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 9 1350 27 IMMEDIATE CHANGES IN MUSCLE STRENGTH AND MOTOR SPEED FOLLOWING YOGA BREATHING. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF HIGH-FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING ON MUSCLE STRENGTH AND MOTOR SPEED. BILATERAL HANDGRIP STRENGTH, LEG AND BACK STRENGTH, FINGER TAPPING AND ARM TAPPING SPEED WERE ASSESSED IN FIFTY MALE PARTICIPANTS (GROUP MEAN AGE +/- SD, 26.9 +/- 6.2 YEARS) BEFORE AND AFTER (A) HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING FOR 15 MINUTES AND (B) BREATH AWARENESS FOR THE SAME DURATION. SESSIONS (A) AND (B) WERE ON TWO DIFFERENT DAYS BUT AT THE SAME TIME OF THE DAY. THE SCHEDULE WAS ALTERNATED FOR DIFFERENT PARTICIPANTS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE (P < 0.05) IN RIGHT HAND GRIP STRENGTH AFTER HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING. BOTH FINGER AND ARM TAPPING IMPROVED AFTER BOTH PRACTICES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST A ROLE FOR HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING IN IMPROVING THE HAND GRIP STRENGTH AS AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT. 2014 10 165 35 A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON VERBAL AGGRESSIVENESS IN NORMAL HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON VERBAL AGGRESSIVENESS IN NORMAL HEALTHY ADULTS. METHODS: OF THE 1228 PERSONS WHO ATTENDED INTRODUCTORY LECTURES, 226 SUBJECTS OF BOTH SEXES WHO SATISFIED THE INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA AND WHO CONSENTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS. THESE 226 SUBJECTS WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 17 AND 62 YEARS AND 173/226 COMPLETED THE EIGHT WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. THE YOGA (Y) GROUP PRACTISED AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE THAT INCLUDED ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, NOTIONAL CORRECTION, AND DEVOTIONAL SESSIONS. THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTISED MILD TO MODERATE PHYSICAL EXERCISES (PE). BOTH GROUPS HAD SUPERVISED PRACTICES (BY TRAINED EXPERTS) FOR ONE HOUR DAILY, SIX DAYS A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS. VERBAL AGGRESSIVENESS WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER EIGHT WEEKS USING THE SELF-ADMINISTERED VERBAL AGGRESSIVE SCALE. RESULTS: THE BASELINE SCORE OF THE TWO GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY (P = 0.66). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN VERBAL AGGRESSIVENESS IN THE YOGA GROUP (P = 0.01 PAIRED SAMPLES T-TEST) WITH A NONSIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PE GROUP. ANCOVA USING PRE- VALUES AS COVARIATES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS (P = 0.013). RMANOVA FOR INTERACTION BETWEEN THE SEXES OR AGE GROUPS IN CHANGE SCORES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT AN EIGHT WEEK INTERVENTION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE DECREASED VERBAL AGGRESSIVENESS IN THE YOGA GROUP (IN MALES AND THOSE BELOW 25 YEARS OF AGE), WITH A NONSIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PE GROUP. 2008 11 306 31 AN EVALUATION OF THE ABILITY TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE THE HEART RATE AFTER A MONTH OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE STUDY AIMED AT DETERMINING WHETHER NOVICES TO YOGA WOULD BE ABLE TO REDUCE THEIR HEART RATE VOLUNTARILY AND WHETHER THE MAGNITUDE OF REDUCTION WOULD BE MORE AFTER 30 DAYS OF YOGA TRAINING. TWO GROUPS (YOGA AND CONTROL, N = 12 EACH) WERE ASSESSED ON DAY 1 AND ON DAY 30. DURING THE INTERVENING 30 DAYS, THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED TRAINING IN YOGA TECHNIQUES WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP CARRIED ON WITH THEIR ROUTINE. AT EACH ASSESSMENT THE BASELINE HEART RATE WAS RECORDED FOR ONE MINUTE, THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A SIX-MINUTE PERIOD DURING WHICH PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO ATTEMPT TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE THEIR HEART RATE, USING ANY STRATEGY. BOTH THE BASELINE HEART RATE AND THE LOWEST HEART RATE ACHIEVED VOLUNTARILY DURING THE SIX-MINUTE PERIOD WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP ON DAY 30 COMPARED TO DAY 1 BY A GROUP AVERAGE OF 10.7 BEATS PER MINUTE (I.E., BPM) AND 6.8 BPM, RESPECTIVELY (P < .05, WILCOXON PAIRED SIGNED RANKS TEST). IN CONTRAST, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN EITHER THE BASELINE HEART RATE OR THE LOWEST HEART RATE ACHIEVED VOLUNTARILY IN THE CONTROL GROUP ON DAY 30 COMPARED TO DAY 1. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA TRAINING CAN ENABLE PRACTITIONERS TO USE THEIR OWN STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE HEART RATE, WHICH HAS POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS. 2004 12 727 29 EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN INDIA BUT LESS IN THE CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED FOR 1-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE AT THE YOGA CENTER. EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE NONREGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING THE COURSE. PHYSICAL HEALTH PARAMETERS CONSIDERED FOR ASSESSMENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA COURSE WERE PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS, MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2 MAX) USING BRUCE TREADMILL TEST, FLEXIBILITY, BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS, AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE TEST WERE USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THE AEROBIC CAPACITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD]) FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.001), FORCED EXPIRATION VOLUME AT THE END OF THE FIRST SECOND (P < 0.001) AS WELL AS PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (P = 0.04). THE MEAN (SD) FLEXIBILITY SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001). SIMILARLY, THE ENDURANCE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (SD) VO2 MAX (< 0.001) AND TREADMILL TIME (P < 0.001). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN BODY COMPOSITION AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DEMONSTRATED THE IMPROVEMENT IN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY. 2021 13 702 40 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 14 858 39 EFFECT OF YOGA OR PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL MEASURES IN CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SEPARATELY REPORTED THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA IN CHILDREN, SHOWING PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS. OBJECTIVES: THE PRESENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA OR PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON PHYSICAL FITNESS, COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND TEACHER-RATED BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE, IN SCHOOL CHILDREN. METHODS: 98 SCHOOL CHILDREN BETWEEN 8 TO 13 YEARS WERE RANDOMIZED AS YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE GROUPS {N = 49 EACH; (YOGA: 15 GIRLS, GROUP MEAN AGE 10.4 +/- 1.2 YEARS), (PHYSICAL EXERCISE: 23 GIRLS, GROUP MEAN AGE 10.5 +/- 1.3 YEARS)}. BOTH GROUPS WERE BLIND ASSESSED AFTER ALLOCATION, USING: (I) THE EUROFIT PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST BATTERY, (II) STROOP COLOR-WORD TASK FOR CHILDREN, (III) BATTLE'S SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY AND (IV) THE TEACHERS' RATING OF THE CHILDREN'S OBEDIENCE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, ATTENTION, PUNCTUALITY, AND BEHAVIOR WITH FRIENDS AND TEACHERS. AFTER ASSESSMENTS THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED YOGA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES, POSTURES, GUIDED RELAXATION AND CHANTING), 45 MINUTES EACH DAY, 5 DAYS A WEEK. DURING THIS TIME THE PHYSICAL EXERCISE GROUP HAD JOGGING-IN-PLACE, RAPID REPETITIVE MOVEMENTS AND RELAY RACES OR GAMES. BOTH GROUPS WERE ASSESSED AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. DATA WERE ANALYZED WITH RM ANOVA AND POST-HOC TESTS WERE BONFERRONI ADJUSTED. RESULTS: THERE WAS ONE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. THIS WAS IN SOCIAL SELF-ESTEEM WHICH WAS HIGHER AFTER PHYSICAL EXERCISE COMPARED TO YOGA (P < 0.05). ALL THE CHANGES REPORTED BELOW ARE BASED ON AFTER-BEFORE COMPARISONS, WITHIN EACH GROUP. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED AN INCREASE IN BMI, AND NUMBER OF SIT-UPS (P < 0.001). BALANCE WORSENED IN THE PHYSICAL EXERCISE GROUP, WHILE PLATE TAPPING IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.001). IN THE STROOP TASK BOTH GROUPS SHOWED IMPROVED COLOR, WORD- AND COLOR-WORD NAMING (P < 0.01), WHILE THE PHYSICAL EXERCISE GROUP SHOWED HIGHER INTERFERENCE SCORES. TOTAL, GENERAL AND PARENTAL SELF-ESTEEM IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE ARE USEFUL ADDITIONS TO THE SCHOOL ROUTINE, WITH PHYSICAL EXERCISE IMPROVING SOCIAL SELF-ESTEEM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THE STUDY WAS REGISTERED IN THE CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY OF INDIA (CTRI/2012/11/003112). 2013 15 2815 36 YOGA TRAINING HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON POSTURAL BALANCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THERE IS A LITTLE EVIDENCE ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR POSTURAL BALANCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF A SIX-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL BALANCE AND SUBJECTIVE IMPACT OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PEOPLE WITH MS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. SETTING: PROTOCOL DEVELOPED AT THE ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STUDY DEPARTMENT, COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, STATE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS, BRAZIL. SUBJECTS: A TOTAL OF 12 (11 WOMEN) YOGA NAIVE PEOPLE WITH MS RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AS FOLLOWS: CONTROL (C-WAITING LIST, N = 6) AND YOGA (Y-YOGA TRAINING, N = 6). INTERVENTIONS: YOGA GROUP PRACTICED POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, MEDITATION, AND RELAXATION ON WEEKLY 60-MIN CLASSES FOR A SIX-MONTH PERIOD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE FOLLOWING EVALUATIONS WERE PERFORMED AT STUDY ENTRY (BASELINE), AND AFTER SIX MONTHS (SIX MONTHS): BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS), EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCALE (EDSS), AND SELF-REPORTED POSTURAL BALANCE QUALITY AND INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BBS SCORE FROM BASELINE TO SIX MONTHS ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP, ESPECIALLY IN SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER EDSS SCORE, WITH INCREASED QUALITY OF SELF-REPORTED POSTURAL BALANCE, AND DECREASED INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. IN CONCLUSION, A SIX-MONTH YOGA TRAINING IS BENEFICIAL FOR PEOPLE WITH MS, SINCE IT IMPROVES POSTURAL BALANCE AND DECREASES THE INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. A GREATER SAMPLE SIZE IS NECESSARY TO INCREASE GENERALIZATION, BUT IT SEEMS THAT YOGA COULD BE INCLUDED AS A FEASIBLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH MS. 2016 16 2651 31 YOGA IMPROVES BALANCE, MOBILITY, AND PERCEIVED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: THIS WAS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF GROUP YOGA, AS PAST WORK HAS INDICATED THAT ONE-ON-ONE YOGA CAN IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS IN ADULTS WITH BRAIN INJURY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARTICIPANTS SERVED AS THEIR OWN CONTROLS. NINE PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY WERE RECRUITED, AND SEVEN (FOUR FEMALE) COMPLETED THE STUDY. PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF BALANCE AND MOBILITY AND SELF-REPORTED MEASURES OF BALANCE CONFIDENCE, PAIN, AND OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION WERE USED. DATA WERE COLLECTED 3 TIMES: BASELINE (STUDY ONSET), PRE-YOGA (AFTER AN 8-WEEK NO-CONTACT PERIOD), AND POST-YOGA (AFTER 8 WEEKS OF YOGA). GROUP YOGA WAS LED BY A YOGA INSTRUCTOR/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, AND SESSIONS LASTED 1 H AND OCCURRED TWICE A WEEK. RESULTS: NO PARTICIPANTS WITHDREW DUE TO ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM YOGA. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BETWEEN BASELINE AND PRE-YOGA. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS OBSERVED POST-YOGA IN BALANCE (P = 0.05), MOBILITY (P = 0.03), AND SELF-REPORTED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: WE OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCE, MOBILITY, AND SELF-REPORTED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY. 2020 17 1102 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AMONG HEALTHY MALE. BACKGROUND: THE STRESSFUL CONDITION MAY CAUSE OXIDATIVE STRESS, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS DISEASES. AIMS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA HAS IMPACT ON THE REDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS. METHODS: FOR THE PRESENT STUDY, 95 (N = 95) HEALTHY MALE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-24 YEARS WERE INCLUDED, 35 (N = 35) VOLUNTEERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE REMAINING 60 (N = 60) VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: (A) YOGA GROUP (N = 30) AND (B) CONTROL GROUP (N = 30). YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR 60 MIN PER DAY, 6 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS IN THE YOGA GROUP, WITH NO YOGA TRAINING IN CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION AND OXIDANT-ANTIOXIDANT STATUS WERE PERFORMED IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT BASELINE, BEFORE YOGA TRAINING (0 WEEK) AND AFTER (12 WEEKS) OF THE TRAINING. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION (P < 0.001) IN THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT AND MALONDIALDEHYDE; SIGNIFICANT ELEVATION (P < 0.001) IN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CATALASE, REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND ASCORBIC ACID LEVELS WERE NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA (0 WEEK). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, BODY SURFACE AREA AND LEAN BODY MASS AMONG THE YOGA GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS WHEN COMPARED TO BASELINE DATA. THESE CHANGES MIGHT BE DUE TO YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES BODY FAT AND OXIDATIVE STRESS. YOGA TRAINING MAY BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE OF VARIOUS DISEASES AND HELPS TO MAINTAIN NORMAL HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. 2018 18 778 29 EFFECT OF YOGA AND WORKING MEMORY TRAINING ON COGNITIVE COMMUNICATIVE ABILITIES AMONG MIDDLE AGED ADULTS. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN COGNITIVE COMMUNICATIVE ABILITIES WITH WORKING MEMORY TRAINING AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPEUTIC METHODS CONDUCTED SEPARATELY. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF COMBINING YOGA AND WORKING MEMORY TRAINING AMONG HEALTHY MIDDLE AGED ADULTS. A TOTAL OF 45 PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THREE GROUPS. GROUP 1 RECEIVED BOTH YOGA AND WORKING MEMORY TRAINING, GROUP 2 RECEIVED ONLY WORKING MEMORY TRAINING AND GROUP 3 SERVED AS THE CONTROL GROUP. WORKING MEMORY TRAINING WAS PROVIDED ON SIX TASKS. YOGA TRAINING INVOLVED PRANAYAMAS AND MUDRAS. EFFECTS OF TRAINING WERE ASSESSED ALONG WITH THE SELF-PERCEPTUAL RATING OF THE PARTICIPANTS TOWARDS TRAINING. RESULTS REVEAL GREATER TRAINING EFFECTS AMONG GROUP 1 PARTICIPANTS, FOLLOWED BY GROUP 2 AND GROUP 3. GROUP 1 ALSO REPORTED BETTER PERCEPTION OF TRAINING (P < 0.05) THAN GROUP 2. THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOGA IS NOT ONLY AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH, BUT ALSO AUGMENTATIVE IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE COMMUNICATIVE ABILITIES. 2017 19 2120 30 THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON ENHANCEMENT OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH) AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. THE EFFECT OF 8 WEEKS YOGA TRAINING ON CORTISOL AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH) LEVELS IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS EXAMINED. TWENTY FOUR MS FEMALE PATIENTS WITH EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCALE (EDSS) 1 TO 5.5 PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY AS THE SUBJECT. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO CONTROL (N = 10) OR TRAINING GROUP (N = 14) RANDOMLY. TRAINING GROUP PERFORMED 90 MIN YOGA TRAINING PER SESSION, 3 DAYS A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE BODY COMPOSITION MEASUREMENT AND BLOOD SAMPLING 48 H BEFORE FIRST SESSION AND 48 H AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT ACTH INCREASED AND CORTISOL DECREASED COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.05); IN CONCLUSION, IT SEEMS THAT YOGA TRAINING MODULATES ACTH LEVEL IN CONCOMITANT WITH REDUCTION IN CORTISOL LEVEL IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MS. 2017 20 2192 35 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON BALANCE, STRENGTH, COORDINATION AND FLEXIBILITY IN HEALTHY CHILDREN AGED 10-12YEARS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON BALANCE, STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND FLEXIBILITY IN HEALTHY CHILDREN AGED 10-12 YEARS. STUDY DESIGN: QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, NONRANDOMIZED. BACKGROUND: RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN CHILDREN HAS FOCUSED ON THE BENEFITS SEEN IN NON-HEALTHY CHILDREN OR ON THE EFFECTS ON HAND GRIP STRENGTH AND MOTOR PERFORMANCE. THE STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BALANCE, STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND FLEXIBILITY HAVE BEEN LIMITED. METHODS AND MEASURES: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 26 CHILDREN, AGED 10-12 YEARS WAS OBTAINED. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN 40MIN YOGA SESSIONS, LED BY A REGISTERED YOGA TEACHER, 1-3 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY, SECOND EDITION (BOT-2), THE SIT AND REACH TEST, AND THE 90/90 HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY TEST WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE 8 WEEKS. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE CALCULATED FOR ALL MEASUREMENTS. A SHAPIRO-WILK TEST WAS USED TO TEST NORMALITY. A WILCOXIN SIGNED-RANK TEST WAS USED TO ANALYZE PRE- AND POST-TEST MEASUREMENTS FOR ALL VARIABLES. RESULTS: THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-SUBJECT DIFFERENCE FROM PRE-TEST TO POST-TEST FOR BALANCE (P=0.026), SIT AND REACH (P=0.000), POPLITEAL ANGLE RIGHT (P=0.005), AND POPLITEAL ANGLE LEFT (P=0.018). THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN STRENGTH AND BILATERAL COORDINATION FROM PRE-TO POST-TEST MEASUREMENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE A BENEFICIAL FORM OF EXERCISE IN THE SCHOOL-BASED SETTING FOR IMPROVING BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY IN HEALTHY CHILDREN. 2019