Fourteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Yoga is known to improve health-related aspects of physical fitness. This study compared the effect of three yoga styles on flexibility, mobility, and functional movement. Twenty-one healthy adults (age: 45.9 ± 9.3 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to a yoga treatment. Each completed a 55-minute practice twice a week for 4-weeks. Mean values for sit-and-reach, joint angle, and functional movement were computed for pre-test and post-test. A paired samples t-test showed a significant improvement in sit-and-reach scores (pre-test: M = 27.95, SD = 10.45; post-test: M = 11.33, SD = 2.06; t = -3.286, p = 0.004), total FMS (pre-test: M = 15.57, SD = 1.63; post-test: M = 30.19, SD = 9.59; t = -7.683, p = <0.001), and hip flexion in downward dog (pre-test: M = 96.49, SD = 15.64; post-test: M = 103.89, SD = 13.57; t = -2.531, p = 0.002) for all participants combined. A one-way ANCOVA showed no significant effect of yoga style on sit-and-reach scores (F(2,17) = 0.262, p = 0.773) or total FMS scores (F(2,17) = 0.196, p = 0.824) after controlling for pre-test scores. Although there was a significant improvement in flexibility and functional movement from pre-test to post-test for all participants, there was no significant effect of yoga style on these measures. This suggests that an individual should select the style of yoga that is most accessible or enjoyable in order to gain the benefits of a yoga practice.