Effects of Long-Term Yoga on Mental Health
Author Information
Author(s): Yoshihara Kazufumi, Hiramoto Tetsuya, Sudo Nobuyuki, Kubo Chiharu
Primary Institution: Kyushu University
Hypothesis
Long-term yoga practitioners may have a better mental state and lower stress-related biochemical indices compared to non-experienced participants.
Conclusion
Long-term yoga training can reduce scores related to mental health indicators such as self-rated anxiety, anger, and fatigue.
Supporting Evidence
- Long-term yoga practitioners reported lower scores for mental disturbance, tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, and fatigue.
- There was a trend toward a higher vigor score in the long-term yoga group.
- No significant differences were found in depression and confusion scores between the two groups.
Takeaway
Doing yoga for a long time can help you feel less anxious, angry, and tired.
Methodology
The study compared 38 long-term yoga practitioners with 37 age-matched non-experienced participants using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire and urinary biochemical indices.
Potential Biases
Self-reported yoga practice may not accurately reflect actual practice levels.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size, assessed POMS scores only once, and was cross-sectional, making it difficult to determine causality.
Participant Demographics
Participants were 38 healthy females with more than 2 years of yoga experience and 37 age-matched healthy females with no yoga experience.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.015 for total mood disturbance
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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