Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years.  However, it is increasing in popularity with more people visiting yoga studios and health clubs adding yoga classes to their activity schedules.  In fact, recent statistics from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association indicate that more than 11 million Americans currently practice yoga.

Although yoga is popular, research on the physical benefits of yoga is scarce.  The American Council on Exercise sponsored a study to evaluate the modern-day body benefits of Hatha yoga with experts from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.  Hatha yoga was specifically chosen due to it being considered “beginner-friendly” and that classes are widely available throughout the country.

The researchers recruited 34 healthy women who were sedentary prior to the study.  The women were randomly placed into two groups (a yoga group and a non-yoga control group).  Participants were tested prior to the study for baseline measurements and again at the end of the 2-month study period.

During the study, the yoga group participated in 55-minute Hatha yoga classes, three days per week; this equated to each participant completing approximately 21 yoga classes.  All classes were taught by a certified yoga instructor and started with five minutes of relaxation and yoga breathing, followed by 10 minutes of warm-up exercises (including sun salutations), 35 minutes of yoga postures, and ending with five minutes of relaxation and breathing in the corpse or relaxation pose.  The non-yoga group was prohibited from participating in any form of exercise during the eight week study period.  Both groups were tested at the end of eight weeks. 

THE RESULTS:

Flexibility

• Regular practice of Hatha yoga significantly improved the subjects’ flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and balance.
• After eight weeks, the average flexibility of the yoga group improved by 13 to 35 percent (significantly greater than the non-yoga group).
• The greatest flexibility improvement was with the shoulders and trunk and ankle range of motion.

Muscular Strength and Endurance

• Both muscular strength and endurance were improved by Hatha yoga – particularly in the chest and abdominal areas.
• Specifically, the yoga group was able to perform an average of six more push-ups and 14 more curl-ups at the end of the study period.

Balance

• The yoga group experienced a 17-second increase in their one-legged stand time and a modest boost in their functional reach scores.
• In addition to performing one-legged moves, researchers state that the reason for improved balance is due to increased proprioception (awareness of where your body is in space) and improved strength of the muscles in the ankles and legs.

Aerobic Fitness

• There were no significant changes in VO2 max (a measure of aerobic capacity) or maximal heart rate.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

There are clear physical benefits from Hatha yoga.  However, the researchers advise exercisers to assess their fitness goals to make sure yoga can help them meet those goals – especially if they want to lose weight, build significant strength, or get a good cardiorespiratory workout.

Hatha yoga is an excellent addition to a fitness routine, and it targets areas typically missed by most fitness routines (flexibility, balance, and relaxation).  However, aerobic exercise should still be part of your regular exercise routines.  And if you’re looking to have greater increases in muscular strength and want quicker results, you should also add resistance training into your exercise program.

Source:  ACE Fitness Matters, Vol. 11(5), Sept./Oct. 2005 (American Council on Exercise)

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