Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study

Background. Yoga is an ancient practice that has gained attention for its potential benefits on muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and body mass index (BMI), making it an effective complementary approach for improving overall health and physical fit...

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Main Authors: Tarak Nath Pramanik, Aminur Rahaman, Gopal Chandra Saha, Anupam Roy, Punam Pradhan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: OVS LLC 2025-01-01
Series:Physical Education Theory and Methodology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tmfv.com.ua/journal/article/view/3015
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author Tarak Nath Pramanik
Aminur Rahaman
Gopal Chandra Saha
Anupam Roy
Punam Pradhan
author_facet Tarak Nath Pramanik
Aminur Rahaman
Gopal Chandra Saha
Anupam Roy
Punam Pradhan
author_sort Tarak Nath Pramanik
collection DOAJ
description Background. Yoga is an ancient practice that has gained attention for its potential benefits on muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and body mass index (BMI), making it an effective complementary approach for improving overall health and physical fitness. Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a six-week yogic regimen on overall health and physical fitness in male university students. Materials and Methods. Forty male students, aged 18 to 24, from the University of Delhi were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group, each comprising 20 participants. The experimental group underwent a six-week yogic intervention, including asanas, pranayama, and meditation, conducted daily under the guidance of certified instructors. The control group continued their usual daily routines. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were conducted to assess muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and BMI. Data analysis involved both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (paired and independent sample t-tests) using SPSS software (version 25), with a significance level set at α = 0.05. Results. The experimental group showed considerable improvements in muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and BMI (p < .005). In contrast, the control group did not exhibit any notable changes in these parameters. Pre-test comparisons revealed no substantial differences between the experimental and control groups across any variables. However, post-test comparisons between the groups demonstrated significant differences in several key areas: muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, and reaction time (p < .005). Conversely, no major differences were observed in flexibility, power, agility, or BMI (p > .005). Conclusions. A six-week yogic intervention effectively enhances muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, and reaction time, while reducing BMI in university students. Incorporating yoga into physical education and individualized training programs has the potential to significantly enhance fitness outcomes across diverse populations.
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spelling doaj-art-5be9f4eeca76431c835efd16c4fe54c72025-01-30T13:24:38ZengOVS LLCPhysical Education Theory and Methodology1993-79891993-79972025-01-0125110.17309/tmfv.2025.1.14Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention StudyTarak Nath Pramanik0Aminur Rahaman1Gopal Chandra Saha2Anupam Roy3Punam Pradhan4University of DelhiUniversity of DelhiVisva-Bharati UniversityUniversity of KalyaniUniversity of DelhiBackground. Yoga is an ancient practice that has gained attention for its potential benefits on muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and body mass index (BMI), making it an effective complementary approach for improving overall health and physical fitness. Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a six-week yogic regimen on overall health and physical fitness in male university students. Materials and Methods. Forty male students, aged 18 to 24, from the University of Delhi were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group, each comprising 20 participants. The experimental group underwent a six-week yogic intervention, including asanas, pranayama, and meditation, conducted daily under the guidance of certified instructors. The control group continued their usual daily routines. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were conducted to assess muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and BMI. Data analysis involved both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (paired and independent sample t-tests) using SPSS software (version 25), with a significance level set at α = 0.05. Results. The experimental group showed considerable improvements in muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, reaction time, and BMI (p < .005). In contrast, the control group did not exhibit any notable changes in these parameters. Pre-test comparisons revealed no substantial differences between the experimental and control groups across any variables. However, post-test comparisons between the groups demonstrated significant differences in several key areas: muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, and reaction time (p < .005). Conversely, no major differences were observed in flexibility, power, agility, or BMI (p > .005). Conclusions. A six-week yogic intervention effectively enhances muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, power, agility, balance, and reaction time, while reducing BMI in university students. Incorporating yoga into physical education and individualized training programs has the potential to significantly enhance fitness outcomes across diverse populations. https://tmfv.com.ua/journal/article/view/3015yogic practicemuscular strengthmuscular enduranceuniversity studentphysical fitness
spellingShingle Tarak Nath Pramanik
Aminur Rahaman
Gopal Chandra Saha
Anupam Roy
Punam Pradhan
Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
Physical Education Theory and Methodology
yogic practice
muscular strength
muscular endurance
university student
physical fitness
title Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
title_full Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
title_fullStr Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
title_full_unstemmed Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
title_short Yogic Practices as a Complementary Approach to Physical Fitness: An Intervention Study
title_sort yogic practices as a complementary approach to physical fitness an intervention study
topic yogic practice
muscular strength
muscular endurance
university student
physical fitness
url https://tmfv.com.ua/journal/article/view/3015
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