Sauna Yoga Superiorly Improves Flexibility, Strength, and Balance: A Two-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Older Adults

Bucht Bucht,Donath Donath

doi:10.3390/ijerph16193721

Abstract

Besides strength and balance, flexibility is an important indicator of health-related physical fitness. Thus, the aim of this two-armed randomized controlled pilot trial was to investigate whether sauna yoga at a moderate temperature (50 °C) beneficially affects flexibility, strength, balance, and quality of life (QOL) in healthy elderly community dwellers. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (INT, n = 11, age: 68.7 ± 5.9) or control group (CON, n = 12, age: 69.3 ± 4.9), using the minimization method. Age, physical activity, gender, and the primary outcome flexibility were used as strata for group allocation. Both groups completed similar exercises in the sauna over eight weeks. Only the INT group was exposed to moderate temperatures of 50 °C. Large and statistically significant improvement in favor of the sauna group (INT) was observed for the chair sit-and-reach test (INT: +83%, CON +3%, p = 0.028, np2 = 0.24). The shoulder and lateral spine flexibility were not relevantly affected. Strength in the lower extremities merely showed a tendency to significant changes (INT: 16%, CON: 3%, p = 0.061, np2 = 0.181). Additionally, balance abilities, with eyes closed, improved (INT: 187%, CON +58%, p = 0.056, np2 = 0.189) in favor of the INT group. QOL only improved in favor of the INT for environmental dimension (INT: +7%, CON: 0%, p = 0.034, np2 = 0.227). These first but preliminary findings indicate that sauna yoga may serve as a promising and feasible means to improve flexibility in elderly people. Strength and balance do not meaningfully benefit from a sauna environment, although strength improved to a slightly higher extent in the sauna group. Future large-scale research is needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms and corroborate these findings.

Highlights

Along with strength, balance, and endurance, flexibility is considered an important physical dimension for active and healthy aging
The results of this study indicated that, after only eight session over eight weeks, flexibility using the chair sit-and-reach (CSR) test notably improved in favor of the in favor of the sauna group (INT) group, whereas shoulder flexibility and lateral spinal flexibility were not relevantly affected
The sample size of this study refers to a pilot character, we were able to detect significant and meaningful change in the primary endpoint

Summary

Introduction

Balance, and endurance, flexibility is considered an important physical dimension for active and healthy aging. In this regard, Nelson and coworkers reported that “to maintain the flexibility necessary for regular physical activity and daily life, older adults should perform activities that maintain or increase flexibility on at least two days each week for at least 10 min each” [1]. Yoga was shown to beneficially affect physical function and well-being in seniors and can be considered an appealing and applicable activity for this population [2]. On the other hand, delivers a warm and relaxing environment, where the body and mind can be trained simultaneously. The sauna is very popular in Scandinavia, Int. J. Public Health 2019, 16, 3721; doi:10.3390/ijerph16193721 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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