Hatha Research Articles

Abstract P5-14-02: Yoga for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and fall risk in breast and gynecological cancer survivors: A pilot study

Abstract Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, debilitating and dose-limiting side effect of neurotoxic chemotherapies that worsens quality of life and increases fall risk in cancer survivors. CIPN is painful and poorly managed with pharmacological agents.This pilot study assessed the preliminary effect of yoga on CIPN symptom severity and fall risk in cancer survivors.Methods: Breast and gynecological (GYN) cancer survivors with persistent, moderate-to-severe CIPN were randomized to yoga and usual care (UC) control arms. The yoga arm practiced Hatha yoga for 60 minutes daily via an in-person group class (2 times/week) and at home using a study-provided instructional video (5 times/week), and the UC arm received usual care for 8 weeks. Main study outcomes included a numeric rating scale (NRS) of CIPN pain, numbness and tingling (higher score indicates worse symptom); the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicitysubscale (FACT-GOG/Ntx) (higher score indicates improved symptoms); and functional reach (FR) test, an objective balance test used to evaluate fall risk (higher score indicates lower risk of fall). Mean changes from baseline to week 8 were calculated for each outcome measure and compared between treatment arms using two-sample t-tests. Results: From 2/2018 to 5/2019, 41 female cancer survivors (92.7% breast, 7.3% GYN; mean (SD) age 62.6 (10.2) years; 53.7% white/non-Hispanic, 19.5% African American, 12.2% Asian, 12.2% other) were enrolled and randomized to yoga (N=21) and UC (N=20) arms. At week 8, mean NRS pain decreased by 2.06 points (95% CI [-3.27, -0.86]) in the yoga arm, and 0.65 points [-2.08, 0.78] in the UC arm (p=0.12). No statistically significant change was observed in NRS numbness and tingling for yoga versus UC arms (both p>0.5). FACT-GOG/Ntx improved by 4.56 points [-1.84, 7.29] in the yoga arm, and 1.37 points [-0.51, 3.25] in the UC arm (p=0.05). FR improved by 3.08 inches [-1.43, 4.73] in the yoga arm, and decreased 0.59 inches [-0.51, 3.25] in the UC arm (p=0.003). Four yoga and 3 UC subjects reported a total of 11 adverse events deemed possibly related to the yoga intervention (all grade 1). Conclusion: Among breast and GYN cancer survivors with moderate-to-severe CIPN, yoga showed promising effects for improving neuropathy-related pain and quality of life, and for reducing fall risk. An adequately-powered and appropriately-controlled trial is warranted to confirm the specific and long-term effects of yoga on CIPN symptoms and fall prevention. Citation Format: Ting Bao, Madeline Hooper, Raymond Baser, Patricia Chen, Lauren Piulson, Clare Patterson, Tina Paul, Connie Chen, Qing Li, Katherine Panageas, Iris Zhi, Victoria Blinder, Mark Robson, Andrew Seidman, Jun Mao. Yoga for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and fall risk in breast and gynecological cancer survivors: A pilot study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-14-02.

Heart Rate Variability Changes in the Integrated Yoga Program: Results and Implications

Background. Different methods are used to study cardiovascular parameters. Of these, heart rate variability (HRV) is a relevant marker for both athletes and physically active people. With regards to physical activity, yoga has become a popular form of activity in the recent years. In fact, research has indicated that yoga is a useful modality for both the management and prevention of several cardiovascular conditions. The purpose of the current study was to observe HRV dynamics in young women during a 6-month yoga intervention.Methods. We recruited 13 women from multiple yoga studios. All participants were practicing Hatha yoga 2 times a week for 6 months. Data were collected: a) at baseline, b) 2 months after the yoga intervention, c) 4 months after the intervention and d) 6 months after the intervention. We used wireless Bluetooth electrocardiogram (ECG) recording device. ECG HVR parameters and heart rate (HR) were used for data analysis.Results. HR dynamics showed no differences during the 6-month yoga intervention. Meanwhile, vLF parameter after relaxation and LF/HF ratio after body scan meditation significantly changed after yoga intervention. No changes were observed in LF or HF parameter dynamics.Conclusion. Our results suggest that 6 months twice per week yoga practice influences vLF and LF/HF ratio, especially during relaxation and body scan meditation. We also suggest that healthy women could benefit from practicing body scan meditation. In conclusion, through modification of emotion reactivity, regular practice of yoga can help improve stress response and offset negative consequences associated with the stress process.Keywords: yoga, heart rate variability, women’s health, ECG, stress.

Prana and the actor

ABSTRACTIn my previous article (Stanislavski Studies, Vol. 6, Issue 1, May 2018), based on the Practice as Research at DAMU in Prague, I described my work with actors and practitioners, using an introductory conditioning set of exercises as part of my own technique, the Yoga of Acting. The Yoga of Acting uses a three-tier system to allow the actor an experience of self, whilst imbricating that experience with the technical, mechanical and well-known challenges of the Art of acting and all it requires and demands. In this workshop, which I completed in Malta as part of the S Word, I am exploring the second stage of my practice, involving the use of the Chakra system as a guide for character exploration and embodiment in the Actor’s work. “Prana” is the sanscrit word for “lifeforce” or “vital principle”. It is also translated as “spirit”, “soul”, “respiration”, “energy” or “vigour”.1 Prana can also be called “Vital Air”, pertaining to Pranayama, the exercises of breath modulation offered in the practice and philosophy of Yoga. “By controlling the prana one can control all the forces of the universe, such as gravity, magnetism, electricity and nerve currents. Thus, prana refers to energy as the basis of all life. Thus, the objective of Pranayama is to stimulate, communicate, regulate and control the vital life force that exists in the body.”2 Stanislavski encountered this word in his studies with Hatha Yoga, and subsequently used the term “emitting rays”. This article explores the PaR around Prana explored in my workshop in Malta, including the experience of some of the participants and the wider experience of Prana.

Exploring the Role of Hatha Yoga in Altering Dispositional Mindfulness

The present research study was an intervention study conducted to elucidate the effects of different Hatha yoga practices on dispositional mindfulness among young adults not characterized by any clinical condition. 280 participants were assigned to three different Hatha yoga intervention groups and a control group for duration of three months. Baseline and post intervention scores for mindfulness were recorded for all the four groups using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Data was analyzed using analysis of covariance for measuring the mean difference between-groups. A highly significant difference was observed between groups on the ability to observe and describe emotions/inner experiences and act with awareness, all of which are positive indicators of dispositional mindfulness. Analysis of t-test revealed maximum significant and positive change in dispositional mindfulness in the combined intervention group of yoga asana and pranayama and meditation, followed by the pranayama and meditation group and the yoga asana group, respectively. Findings reinforce Hatha yoga as a significant predictor of dispositional mindfulness and further contribute to the insufficient literature examining the psychological benefits associated with Yoga among adult masses with no specific clinical condition. It further suggests employing stronger interventional research designs and a mixed-method approach for in-depth assessment of participant experience to accurately evaluate the benefits associated with specific yoga practices and their effects on dispositional mindfulness.

Effects of an intervention program with health education and hatha yoga on the health of professionals with musculoskeletal symptoms.

IntroductionMusculoskeletal and mental disorders are relevant in the workers’ disease process, and ergonomic interventions that include guidance and physical exercise consist of strategies of health promotion. Integrative and complementary practices are presented as a possibility of promoting comprehensive care and yoga consists of a therapeutic alternative.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of an intervention including educational measures and hatha yoga in musculoskeletal pain, disability, and stress in professionals of a university hospital.MethodsWe selected 125 professionals with musculoskeletal symptoms of intensity ≥ 1 who did not practice yoga and randomly assigned them to intervention (n = 63) and control (n = 62) groups, requesting answers to the following questionnaires: initial characterization, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and a numeric scale, the Pain Disability Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The intervention group went through a 12-week program with educational measures and hatha yoga. At the end of the study period, both groups answered to the questionnaires once again. We compared data before and after the intervention and between groups.ResultsBoth groups presented improvements after 12 weeks, but the difference between mean results obtained in the first and second data collections revealed that the levels of pain, disability, and stress decreased more strongly in the intervention group than in the control group. Considering that the intervention group began the program in worse clinical conditions, the program led to a reduction in the difference between groups, but this was not enough for the intervention group to reach better results than the control.ConclusionsThe intervention promoted improvements in the intensity of pain, disability, and stress among the participants of the intervention group. Similar programs could be explored in the promotion of occupational health.

Effects of Hatha Yoga on caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective: To assess the effects of a Hatha Yoga intervention on anxiety, subjective well-being, and attention levels of caregivers of children and adolescents with cancer, admitted to a public hospital in the city of Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed. Thirty-six volunteers were allocated to clinical (participated in 4 to 6 Hatha Yoga practices) or control groups and answered the questionnaires State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Subjective Well-Being Scale, and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale before and after the intervention period. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon nonparametric analyses were performed to compare the groups to each other and at different moments. Results: The individuals' moderate anxiety state decreased in the clinical (p = 0.001) and control (p = 0.014) groups so that while the control group continued to present moderate anxiety, the clinical group presented low anxiety after the intervention. Positive affects increased, and adverse effects decreased in the clinical group (p <0.05). There were no relevant changes in satisfaction with life and attention levels in the two groups (p> 0.05). Conclusion and implications for practice: Hatha Yoga is a useful tool for healthcare professionals and caregivers in short-term hospital care to reduce anxiety and improve subjective well-being.

Comparison of Subjectively Perceived Pro-Health Effects of Practicing Various Forms of Body & Mind Training in Women

Background: Body & mind trainings are forms of aerobics, the aim of which, apart from improving physical fitness, is to additionally provide mental relaxation. The aim of this study was a comparison of physical and mental pro-health effects from practicing Hatha yoga, Pilates and bodyART. Material and methods: Our own self-assessment questionnaire was used assess the impact of selected forms of body & mind training on the physical and mental fitness of people regularly practicing the forms. A group of 81 women practicing Hatha yoga, Pilates or bodyART for a minimum of 2 workouts per week were qualified. Additional inclusion criteria involved at least a 2-month training period and not practicing the other sport disciplines in study period. Results: After regular body & mind training, significant beneficial changes involving primarily the reduction of joint pain and increased flexibility were subjectively noticed by the participants. Changes included a significant reduction of back pain for Hatha yoga and Pilates and reduction of knee pain and improvement of the sense of balance for bodyART. Conclusions: Practicing body & mind forms has a beneficial impact on the perception of psychophysical health, regardless of the type of training, while the bodyART form generally showed the greatest number of effects.

The level of mood regulation in practicing hatha yoga in the background of people who do not practice this physical activity

Introduction: The aim of the study was to analyze mood regulation in people practicing hatha yoga in the background of people who do not practice this sport activity. Materials and Methods: 96 Respondents from the Slaskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie province took part in the research The subjects were divided into two groups: practicing hatha yoga (N = 46) and control (N = 49). The analysis was carried out by means of a diagnostic survey using the standardized tool: Mood Control Scales. During the tests, the age and sex of the respondents were taken into account. Results: The average results of males and females exercising and not exercising hatha yoga in the Elevated Mood Scale are very similar to each other and range from 3.91 to 3.97 in women and from 3.87 to 3.91 in men. The results of men in the Depressed Mood Scale, as in the Elevated Mood Scale, differ slightly. However, a large difference, up to 0%, can be noticed by observing the results of women, 2.22 for exercising women and 2.79 for non-exercising women. Conclusions: Practicing hatha yoga has a beneficial effect on the level of mood regulation, contributing to the improvement of the mental state, the implementation of vital tasks and life goals and, consequently, reducing the negative mood and proper social functioning. Decreasing the level of low mood positively affects the quality of life. People with the ability to regulate the mood are less subject to mechanisms exacerbating the negative mood and, consequently, do not undertake the procedures leading to this mood. It can therefore be assumed that a bad mood is not treated in the category of failure, life catastrophe or a state without a way out. The conducted research allowed to show a greater tendency to reduce the level of low mood in women practicing hatha yoga. In the analysis, there were dependencies between the tendencies of mood regulation and gender. These dependencies were seen in women, whereas with men this did not play a significant role research did not play a significant role. However, there was no negative effect of the hatha yoga exercise on the level of mood.

Bhramari Pranayama as an aid to meditation: A review of classical yoga texts

Bhramari Pranayama is said to be an aid to attain Samadhi or contemplative absorption. It is a yogic technique that comprises attending to self-produced sound emulating a bumblebee along with breath control. The vibration of sound produced is the aid to enhance the level of consciousness to reach the state of Samadhi. In this review, an attempt has been made to understand the processing of sound-Bhramari in particular, right from the origin of the sound, with the help of ancient texts such as Saivagama texts, Yoga Upanishads, Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, and various other texts. Features of Bhramari Pranayama are dealt in detail with its suitability to spiritual practice, research, and its potentiality as a therapy tool.

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Yoga Program on Convicted Extremist Offenders.

Objective:The present study aimed to explore the effect of yoga techniques on well-being and behavior among those who have propagated and participated in extreme violence and aggression. The sample comprised 219 United Liberation Front of Assam militants selected immediately after surrender of arms in the year 2012 from all over northeast region of India.Methodology:The study design was a single group with pre- and posttest assessment. All participants attended a 40-day intensive Yoga workshop (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, Pranayama, Physical postures or Hatha Yoga, Meditation) conducted at Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru. The impact of spiritual practices was observed on peace, aggression, life satisfaction, and quality of life in individuals using the aggression Buss Perry questionnaire, WHOQOL-BREF, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the 40-day workshop.Results:Significant results using paired t-test clearly demonstrate that by following yoga techniques (Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga, and Meditation), a reduction in aggression, quality of life, and life satisfaction can be obtained. These practices can be useful for people who want to rehabilitate themselves after incarceration or experience of militancy. The purpose of these measures is to reduce the risk of future criminality by those already convicted of violent extremist offenses, thereby protecting public safety while also benefiting individuals and communities.

Knowledge of yoga and its application in psychiatry

Since ancient times, yoga has been conceived as plural in its composition, meanings, and practices with singularity in its objective to promote mind–body fitness. In contemporary times, hatha yoga (physical yoga) is getting further diversified into different styles. Deeper understanding of these forms of yoga reveals that certain components including ethical and moral principles, posture (asana), breathe regulation (pranayam), chanting particular sounds (mantra), introspection (pratyahar), contemplation (dharana), and meditation (dhyan) are common among these. First, yoga can induce harmony in mind–body functioning. Second, being experientially rooted, it can be adopted considerably with much ease in comparison to the existing psychological practices. Third, it has promising potential to address the mental health concerns of the people because training and taking the service of yoga is cost-effective. Fourth, it can also alleviate multiple physical, emotional, and social sufferings holistically. Gradually, demand for personalized, eclectic, and intuitive therapeutic approaches is on rise for psychiatric disorders and mental well-being.

(Toward) A Phenomenology of Acting by Phillip Zarrilli

Reviewed by: (Toward) A Phenomenology of Acting by Phillip Zarrilli Stanton B. Garner Jr. (TOWARD) A PHENOMENOLOGY OF ACTING. By Phillip Zarrilli. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2019; pp. 304. As an actor, teacher, director, and performance ethnologist, Phillip Zarrilli left an indelible mark on intercultural performance studies. His final monograph, (toward) a phenomenology of acting, underscores his contributions as an acting theorist. Building on his earlier study Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach after Stanislavsky (2009), this impressive book extends Zarrilli's investigation of embodied performance by developing and refining its theoretical frameworks. Bringing together phenomenology, enaction theory, and the insights of Asian martial arts and meditative traditions, these frameworks are as intercultural as the theatrical projects that Zarrilli uses to illustrate his acting method. The book is equal parts theoretical treatise and practical guide for the actor or director who wants to mine the experiential possibilities of the theatrical present. Its goal, in Zarrilli's words, is to understand acting "as a dynamic, embodied/ enactive psychophysical phenomenon and process by means of which a (theatrical) world is made available at the moment of its appearance/experience for both actors and audience" (12). How, he asks, do awareness, intention, and action arise and shape themselves in the here-and-now of performance, and how can an understanding of this process deepen the actor's performance work? At the center of Zarrilli's performance phenomenology is the "bodymind," an embodied, non-dualistic awareness of experience as it unfolds in time and space. The book's early chapters discuss this awareness and the training regimen that Zarrilli developed to cultivate it in his actors. Using meditation and movement exercises drawn from the Kerala (Indian) martial art kalarippayattu, hatha yoga, and the Chinese martial art taiqiquan, actors training in his psychophysical method practice following the breath, which embodies qi (or ki), the vital principle in Chinese medicine that originates in the energy center (dantian) located in the lower-mid abdomen. Posture and movement training expand the actors' sensory perception beyond the visual while helping them develop three-dimensional awareness of their surroundings. Optimally, this sensory-kinesthetic work cultivates responsiveness, preparedness, and an openness to discovery in the performance moment. Much of Zarrilli's discussion in these chapters concerns the actor's relation to the performance score, "the repeatable structure or sequence of actions/reactions which guide an actor's performance" (34). Through extensive rehearsal, the actor internalizes this score so that she can adopt a state of unknowingness when carrying it out in performance. Instead of pre-rehearsal script analysis, where directors and actors discuss the background and psychological motivation of their characters, Zarrilli and his actors explore the moment-by-moment dynamics of awareness, sensation, and action within the score as a whole. As the book's later chapters argue, the embodied, pre-reflexive, and intersubjective field that is foregrounded by psychophysical training has implications for other elements of the actor's work. Imagination and image-work, for instance, are no longer limited to mental pictures, but expand to include kinesthetic and other sensory modes of engaging imaginary worlds. What does it mean to be alone yet constantly to imagine the presence of another, like the two figures in Zarrilli's co-created performance piece Told by the Wind (2010), who share the stage but are otherwise unaware of each other? Language and verbal performance are similarly reembodied when actors redirect attention from what words say to how they arise and vibrate within the voicing body. This verbal awareness extends to the interactional dynamics in performance when actors inhabit each other's words through mindful listening. In the rehearsals for his 2017 production of Beckett's Footfalls in Costa Rica, for example, the actors playing May and Voice silently voiced the other's lines as a way of inhabiting the intersubjective space between first, second, and third person in the text. Rehearsal accounts such as this play an important role in (toward) a phenomenology of acting. Because Zarrilli performed in many of the productions and training exercises he discusses, his phenomenological insights are generated and refined through first-person description. Some of his actors also provided valuable accounts of their experiences. This descriptive phenomenology...

How to develop professionally important soft-skills for IT-professionals by means of physical education?

Information on features necessary for productive professional work is interesting for both scientists and employers. Single systematized contradictory data don’t allow to improve training programs, make effective training programs for IT-specialists for productive professional work. Goal – identify critical important, important and desirable professional qualities for IT-specialists, according to the data of literature determine the most important means of their effective development. Methods, participants, and organization. The study participants were 142 students who study at the university in the 3rd year and have experience in the specialty information technology for at least 2 years. Students evaluated soft-skills (on a 4-point system) by the degree of importance for the successful work of IT-professionals. The results were calculated in%, and the reliability of the discrepancies between neighbouring groups of indicators was determined using the χ2 criterion. Results. It has been determined that emotional intelligence is a crucial quality for IT professionals, as well as leading and desired skills. Whereas the leading skills are studying ability and strive for self-education and self-improvement; independent decision making and problem solving; establishing communication and team-working; creativity, attention to details, and adaptiveness. An adequate level of physical conditions and leadership are regarded as desirable. The level of importance of psychophysical parameters for IT professional’s work efficiency has been determined. It has been determined, that means of physical activities as mental fitness (hatha yoga, Bodyflex and Pilates), sports games (and other measures for promote agility) have worked well in the development of cognitive qualities of students. To form professionally important skills, IT-specialists have been recommended to use aids to promote agility and mental fitness, to reinforce the workload on physical education sessions, increase the number of academic classes on physical education up to 3 per week, or supplement academic activities with sports. In professional literature, there has been found no datum on the type of motor activity that encourages forming a number of leading professionally important qualities.

КУЛЬТУРНАЯ РЕЦЕПЦИЯ АНТРОПОЛОГИИ ЙОГИ В РОССИИ НАЧАЛА ХХ В.

The research examines the specifics of reception of Yoga anthropology in Russia and its dissemination paths. The end of 19th – early 20th century was marked by the appearance of Russian translations of the academic research, in which Yoga was viewed as one of the Indian philosophical schools. In the same time, the West was witnessing an onset of popularization of Yoga by representatives of Neo-Vedanta, whose writings were also translated into Russian. Those writings were of a popular nature, since their authors sought to make Yoga understandable for Western readers. For the Occult community, the practical aspect of Yoga was the most attractive one. Occultists regarded Yoga as a method of anthropological perfection – both spiritual and physical – and eventual attainment of superhuman powers. Yoga popularization in Russia was to a considerable extent promoted by theosophists, who built their interpretations on contrasting Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. In the writings of theosophists, Yoga was presented as a path to attaining arcane knowledge. Russian Occultists created their original interpretations of Yoga. Christian theosophist M.V. Lodyzhensky, despite of considering Yoga as a path to attaining the Superconscious, gave it less appreciation compared to Christian heritage, thus emphasizing the supremacy of Christian tradition. P.D. Uspensky viewed Yoga through the lens of his concept of the Superman, and believed that Yoga practice is a way to achieve an overhuman condition, which the entire humanity will ultimately reach. The interest of Russian community to Yoga should be considered in the context of interest towards the Eastern culture and the belief in the possibility of upcoming transformation of the human nature that were common with the European society of that age

Сохранение и поддержание здоровья спортсменок, занимающихся художественной гимнастикой, обучающихся в физкультурном вузе средствами хатха-йоги

Сохранение и поддержание здоровья спортсменок, занимающихся художественной гимнастикой, обучающихся в физкультурном вузе средствами хатха-йоги

The phenomenon of hidden quotation in the medieval indian treatise “Upadesamrita”

The article considers the issue of "implicit" or "hidden" quotations in the text of the medieval treatise "Upadeshamrita" written by Rupa Goswami, who is a prominent representative of Bengali Vishnuism. Hidden citation is a widespread phenomenon in Far Eastern literature. The purpose of this work is to analyze the possible reasons for this type of quotation in the "Upadeshamrita", assuming the intention of the author: does he want to rely on someone else's opinion, to refute it or to make it a starting point for affirming his own opinion in a polemical form. Intertextual references reflected in parallel existing texts are interesting as an object for study both for text formation and for text perception. The authors consistently reveal how Rupa Goswami modify the original verses from other sources, includes them in the text of his "Upadeshamrta", carefully “smoothing” the quote from the "Mahabharata", entering into polemics with the creator of "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" and changing the main intention of the passage from “Panca-tantra". Analyzing various factors, the authors interpret the choice of changes made by Rupa, linking them with contemporary historical realities, adherence to a certain spiritual direction, and social prerequisites. This article shows examples of what meanings hidden citation can carry and how it can be a special author's strategy. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded that the recognition of hidden quotes becomes a necessary condition for understanding not only the text as a whole but also what the author wants to say.

Применение фитнес-технологий в тренировочном процессе футболистов на этапе спортивной специализации

In modern conditions of preparation of athletes in various sports, including in football, such unconventional means as fitness, aerobics, step aerobics, Pilates, elements of hatha yoga are used, etc. However, theoretical development of this direction of training process, methods of application of various directions of aerobics (classical, taibo, step-, aqua-, pump-, fitball-aerobics, etc.) in physical and special training of football players is insufficient. We presented the results of pedagogical experiment on inclusion in training process of football players at stage of sports specialization of specially developed programs of dance aerobics, step-aerobics (with platform of changing height), fitball-aerobics and streetcasting. We used tests to assess the readiness of the subjects: running 30 m from a high start, jumping in length from the place, hitting the ball with a foot for a range (the sum of the right and left legs), touching the posts and hitting the goal. The results of the evidence and result tests carried out during the experiment showed a significant increase and reliable differences in the results in the groups of 14-15 years. In our opinion, specially developed programs of modern fitness technologies can be applied at different stages of multi-year preparation, at different periods of year cycle of preparation, with different age groups of football players, at different level of preparation of athletes.

Comparing between the effect of energy-restricted diet and yoga on the resting metabolic rate, anthropometric indices, and serum adipokine levels in overweight and obese staff women.

Background:Weight management is an important strategy to prevent the consequences of obesity. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of yoga practice and energy-restricted diet on resting metabolic rate (RMR), anthropometric indices, and serum adiponectin and leptin in overweight and obese women.Materials and Methods:Obese or overweight women were divided into two groups: yoga practicing and energy-restricted diet. Exercise trials consisted of 60-min Hatha yoga equal to 200 kilocalories (kcal) combined with 300 kcal restriction per day, and an energy-restricted diet consisted of 500 kcal restriction per day. The intervention period for both the groups was 8 weeks. RMR, anthropometric indices, and serum adiponectin, leptin, and lipid profiles were measured at baseline and at the end of the study.Results:RMR was increased in yoga but not in the diet group (P = 0.001). The level of adiponectin was increased in the yoga group compared with the diet (P = 0.035). The concentration of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was decreased in the diet group significantly but not in yoga (P = 0.006). The level of leptin was decreased in both the groups (P = 0.001), and there were no significant differences between the two groups.Conclusion:The findings of the study demonstrated the effect of yoga practicing on RMR, and serum adiponectin, in overweight and obese women. It seems yoga practice with less energy restriction compared with a common energy restriction diet and is more effective in weight management for those who are in weight loss programs.

The Lived Experience and Patient-reported Benefits of Yoga Participation in an Inpatient Brain Injury Rehabilitation Setting.

Context:The multifactorial benefits of yoga have been well documented in the literature, with the integration of yoga therapy into healthcare being an emerging field. In general, yoga therapy programs are utilized in the community as an adjunct to other therapy. At present, limited rehabilitation units routinely incorporate integrative therapy options within a hospital environment.Aims:The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience and patient-reported benefits of yoga in an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation setting.Settings and Design:Thirty-one participants were recruited to the study after voluntarily participating in a yoga class within an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit of a major metropolitan hospital. Yoga sessions were held weekly for 60 min and consisted of a modified Hatha yoga style. This was a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest study.Methodology:Quantitative data were collected to measure perceptions of relaxation and well-being before and after yoga classes, along with the satisfaction of the class. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect qualitative data of experiences and perceptions associated with yoga participation.Statistical Analysis Used:Thematic analysis was completed for qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical methods, and descriptive statistics were also provided.Results:The benefits described by participants are reported in this paper. These include improved relaxation, physical well-being, emotional well-being, being present, and self-awareness.Conclusions:This study describes the personal benefits experienced from regular yoga participation within an inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Effect of yoga on psychological distress among women receiving treatment for infertility

Background:Infertility among women has been associated with significant psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. yoga therapy has been found to be useful in the management of anxiety, depression and psychological distress.Aim:To review studies on the effectiveness of yoga in reducing psychological distress and improving clinical outcomes among women receiving treatment for infertility.Methodology:PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies using the following inclusion criteria: studies published in English, those published between 2000 and 2018, published in peer-reviewed journals, and those with Yoga as an intervention. Review articles, studies without any yoga interventions for infertility, and male infertility were excluded. The keywords included for the literature search were: Yoga, Mindfulness, Relaxation technique, Stress, Distress, Anxiety, Infertility, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).Results:Three studies satisfied the selection criteria. Two studies involved Hatha yoga intervention and one study used structured yoga program. The variables assessed in these studies were: (1) anxiety, (2) depression, (3) emotional distress, and (4) fertility-related quality of life. All the studies reported an improvement in the anxiety scores after yoga intervention.Conclusion:Yoga therapy may be potentially useful in improving anxiety scores among women suffering from infertility. More studies are needed in this area to establish role of yoga as an adjuvant during the treatment of infertility.