The Journal of Rheumatology conducted an eight-week long study on 75 sedentary adults aged 18 and older. There were two 60 minutes class sessions and one home session per week and the positions were chosen on an individual basis. The monitored outcomes such as fitness, mood, stress, self-efficacy and a quality of life standardized score. Long-term effects at a nine-month follow-up were also monitored.
Results showed statistically significant improvements in pain, general health, vitality and mental health scales following this intervention. At the nine-month follow-up, flexibility, a six-minute walk test and most psychological scores measured showed continued improvement. Furthermore, there were no adverse events associated with the yoga practice.
Therefore, yoga seems to be a beneficial practice in sedentary individuals in order to increase physical activity and improve psychological health.
S.H. Moonaz, C. O. Bingham, L. Wissow, S. J. Bartlett. Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial. The Journal of Rheumatology, 2015; 42 (7): 1194 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.141129