The Effect of a Mindfulness-based Yoga Training Course on the Mental Toughness of Athletes With Different Skill Levels

Abstract

Background and Aims One of the critical variables affecting sports success is mental toughness, which is the ability to return from failure and imposed pressure. It seems that it is necessary to conduct interventional research on different sports communities and observe the effect of this intervention on different personality dimensions of athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based yoga intervention on mental toughness in athletes with varying skill levels. Methods In the present study, 72 student-athletes who were members of sports teams (Mean±SD age: 20.67±1.44 years, Mean±SD sports: history 5.88±3.26 years) were selected based on inclusion criteria, and They were divided into three intervention groups (skilled, semi-skilled and less experienced) and three control groups (skilled, semi-skilled and less experienced). Also, the Persian version of the sports mental toughness questionnaire (SMTQ), Golby and Shird), and the demographic questionnaire was used. First, all pretest participants completed a sports mental toughness questionnaire; then, the intervention group participated in 12 90-minute mindfulness-based yoga training sessions. At the end of the course, all subjects were retested. Athletes’ participation was voluntary, and all subjects signed a consent form to participate in the study. Results The two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) (skill level×intervention) showed that the main effect of the intervention in the post-test was significant for the stubbornness variable and subscales of stability and control, but the effect of skill level and their interactive effect was not significant. Also, comparing the pretest and post-test pairs for each group, it was observed that the mental toughness of the inexperienced and semi-skilled in the post-test groups significantly improved over the pretest. Conclusion The effect of a mindfulness-based yoga intervention on athletes’ mental toughness and subscales of stability and control was positive. Considering the importance of the athlete’s mental toughness in achieving high levels of competition, it is suggested that coaches use mindfulness-based yoga intervention in athletes with different skill levels to promote this psychological factor.