Effects of Hatha Yoga Practice on the Health‐Related Aspects of Physical Fitness

TLDR

The study examined how an 8‑week hatha yoga program affects muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and pulmonary function in healthy, untrained adults. Participants attended at least two weekly yoga sessions, each lasting 85 minutes with 10 min pranayamas, 15 min warm‑up, 50 min asanas, and 10 min savasana, and were evaluated before and after the program. After training, participants showed significant gains: isokinetic strength increased 31–28 %, isometric endurance rose 57 %, flexibility improved 13–188 %, and VO₂max increased 7 % absolute and 6 % relative. (c)2001 CHF, Inc.

Abstract

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.