Research Article

Effects of yoga on health status and physical fitness an ecological approach – A survey L. Akshayaa, A. Jothi Priya*, R. Gayatri Devi

ABSTRACT

Yoga has been the subject of research in the past few decades for therapeutic purposes for modern epidemic diseases like mental stress, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Individual studies report beneficial effect of yoga in these conditions, indicating that it can be used as nonpharmaceutical measure or complement to drug therapy for treatment of these conditions. However, these studies have used only yoga asana, pranayama, and/ or short periods of meditation for therapeutic purposes. General perception about yoga is also the same, which is not correct. Yoga in fact means union of individual consciousness with the supreme consciousness. It involves eight rungs or limbs of yoga, which include yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Intense practice of these leads to self-realization, which is the primary goal of yoga. An analytical look at the rungs and the goal of yoga shows that it is a holistic way of life leading to a state of complete physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being and harmony with nature. This is in contrast to purely economic and material developmental goal of modern civilization, which has brought social unrest and ecological devastation.

KEY WORDS: Anxiety, Chronic pulmonary disease, Coronary heart disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Meditation, Mental stress, Pranayama, Yoga

INTRODUCTION our body to get rich supply of oxygen.[3] In eastern culture, yoga has been traditionally a part of life and Yoga is an ancient discipline which brings balance and practitioners of yoga are thought to be able to achieve health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual high states of relaxation and self-regulation of stress.[4] dimensions of an individual. In Sanskrit, word yoga derives from “yug” meaning to yoke, which refers According to the survey of Americans, over 10 million to the discipline of aligning the mind and body for adults (5.1%) practice yoga (Birdee et al., 2008). spiritual goals.[1] Many different types of yoga are Yoga therapy is the two-fold therapeutic system which practiced, each with distinct qualities and mixtures prevents and cures various diseases. Health related of core components including postures (asanas), physical issues which includes cardiovascular fitness, breathing practices (pranayama), and meditation. body composition and metabolism of our body. Thus, In western culture, yoga is typically regarded as a practice of yoga can enhance health and overall fitness, physically regarded as physical health practices though regulate all the body functions in a balanced manner and it is a spiritual and philosophical aspect. Some of them it is helpful in providing sustainable health. Once learned, considered yoga as a holistic system which improves yoga can be practiced at any time on an individual basis.[5] our mind, body, and spirit.[2] Bhaskara pranayama is one of the powerful yogas which improves our Some of the beneficial effects of yoga are to reduce blood breathing. It is also called as “breath of fire” involves pressure, relieves anxiety, delaying functional decline, forceful inhalation and exhalation, thereby helping decreasing sleep disturbances, and improvement in serum lipid profile have been observed in the earlier Access this article online researches. The aim of the study is to determine the beneficial effects of yoga based on their health status Website: jprsolutions.info ISSN: 0975-7619 and physical fitness among the yoga practitioners.

Department of Physiology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. A. Jothi Priya, Department of Physiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, 162, Poonamallee High Road, Velappanchavadi, Chennai - 600 077, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: [email protected]

Received on: 21-11-2018; Revised on: 13-01-2019; Accepted on: 16-02-2019

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MATERIALS AND METHODS getting high memory power, and 34.3% experienced increased in their concentration level by practicing An online questionnaire was prepared and distributed yoga. From Figure 4, the pie chart describes the period among the yoga practitioners all over Chennai. The of time spent for yoga practicing, about 34% of them survey consists of 101 participants. The questionnaire spend 1–2 days a week, 28.7% of them spend less was given to them individually to avoid false results. than a week to practice yoga, 19% of them do yoga in Each of them took 2 min to complete the survey. The 3–5 days a week, and 16% of them do yoga everyday. data analyzed were statistically analyzed. From the From Figures 4 and 5, the pie chart shows the guidance result obtained, the effects of practicing yoga and for practicing yoga; the respondents answered that health status of yoga practitioners were discussed. about 65% of the practitioners do not have a teacher to guide them and about 21% of them practicing yoga in a RESULTS center with a guidance of a teacher. From the results obtained, about males (20.8%) and females (79.2%) practicing yoga. In which students DISCUSSION are about (64.4%), employed (18.8%), self employed The yoga practitioners who responded to the survey (5.9%), home makers (8.9%) and retired (2%). The were mostly females which are similar to the statistical period of time taken for practicing yoga was obtained analysis in other national survey examining yoga and they were about (38.6%) most of them practice yoga practitioners.[6-10] Spirituality and stress relief were for at least half an hour and less than half an hour were the most common primary reasons for continuing about (30.7%). It is clear from the pie chart given above yoga which is described in the sample.[11] Flexibility [Figure 1] which depicts the reason for practicing yoga and stress management remained as the high endorsed which was about 27.7% of people do yoga for the need reasons.[12] Stress reduction and fitness enhancement of physical exercise, 20.8% for stress management, were cited for the main reasons for practicing yoga, 34.7% do yoga for mind relaxation, and 1% of people regardless of weight gain.[13-15] The survey conducted seeks for spiritual experience. From Figure 2, the pie for this study relieved that most of the participants do chart depicts the types of yoga which they practice daily not have any yoga instructors to guide them. Thus, a as they need the physical exercise. For about, 34.7% do home yoga practice provides them an inexpensive, asanas and postures, 18.8% of them do pranayama, and convenient, and a private place for engaging them in 46.5% of them do meditation. From Figure 3, the pie yoga.[16] chart depicts the beneficial effects of doing yoga which were about 9.8% of them practice to obtain energy and This survey shows that about 34.3% of people good muscular strength, 24.5% need flexibility, 22.5% accepted that they have increased concentration with

Figure 1: Reasons for started practicing yoga Figure 3: Benefits they are getting by practicing yoga

Figure 2: Types of yoga they practice Figure 4: Period of time taken to practice yoga

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