Department of Physiology, BLDEU's Shri B M Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Bijapur, Karnataka
Yoga has sound scientific basis and an ideal tool for improving health of our masses. There is evidence that the practice of yoga improves physical and mental performance. Although there are a number of reports on the effect of yoga, very few studies have been undertaken on the effect of yoga training on respiratory endurance and muscle strength in elderly individuals. Hence, the present study was undertaken to study the effect of yoga training on maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), 40 mmHg endurance test, breath holding time after expiration (BHTexp), breath holding time after inspiration (BHTinsp), and hand grip strength (HGS).
An interventional study involving twenty four apparently healthy male elderly individuals, of average age of 62.5 years, underwent two weeks of yoga training and the mean values of parameters were compared before and after yoga training.
There was a significant (P < 0.05) increase in MEP from 83.16 +/-8.06 to 100.24 +/- 9.35 mmHg, 40 mmHg test and HGS increased significantly (P= 0.000) from 22.37+/- 6.21 to 28.91 +/5.40 s and 25.51 +/- 3.56 to 29.87 +/- 4.39 kg respectively. BHTexp increased from 29.54 +/- 4.36 to 37.41 +/- 3.45s (P =0.000) and BHTinsp increased from 35.53 +/-4.27 to 44.73 +/-3.78 s (P = 0.000). Our results show that yoga practice for 2 weeks results in significant increase in respiratory pressures, BHT and HGS.
Our study shows that short term yoga training improves the respiratory pressures and muscle strength in elderly individuals.
Yoga, Elderly individuals, Maximal Expiratory Pressure, Breath Holding Time, Hand Grip Test
