Exercise and Wellbeing

Yoga…..it’s complicated!

“Postures and movements, breath regulation, relaxation, mindfulness and meditation, cultivation of values, visualisations, affirmations, gestures, diet and lifestyle and the relationship or connection with the teacher.”

Then of course you need to consider how you will approach these factors, and what will you focus on?

This all means yoga as an intervention to grow wellbeing is tricky to define, and therefore measure. There is however some compelling evidence that practicing yoga can increase your wellbeing and positive emotions.

How? Well, that is complicated too.

The strongest empirical evidence points towards yoga practice increasing the bodies capacity to regulate hormones, specifically increasing “feel-good chemicals” such as serotonin, melatonin and GABA levels, while reducing both adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Let’s delve into a well set out random controlled trial that encompasses many factors of yoga practice.

• Each participant was given four individual 1 hour consultations/yoga lessons over the 6 week period.
  • Qualified yoga teachers were engaged for these lessons.
  • for those of you familiar with yoga, the style of yoga was ‘vinyasa’.
• An individualised practice was developed and taught for each participant.
  • Participant symptoms, needs, abilities, goals and circumstances were considered.
  • A written copy of the practice with diagrams was provided to the participants.
  • this is be a great example of tailoring the intervention to ensure best person-intervention fit, to be discussed further in future posts, where such considerations will increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.
• Specific considerations for the continuing home practice included,
  • Time of day
  • Duration of practice (average session time throughout the entire 12 week period, 29 minutes/session)
  • Frequency of practice (average throughout the entire 12 week period, 4.8 sessions/week)

Participant measures were completed at the commencement and completion of the 6 week intervention, as well as a 6 week follow up. In what could be considered a small sample, the average age of participants was 39.5 years, and in a sure sign that we have to pick up our game gentlemen, 80% of participants were female. While the focus here is psychological wellbeing, evidence has also shown a great physical benefit. For a brief background on yoga and associated benefits, check out this great 5 minute TED-Ed talk.

What does all this mean for you? Yoga practice is an effective way to grow your wellbeing, but it is important to lay the foundations for good practice through consulting a yoga teacher you connect with. The great thing about exercise like yoga is that you have the flexibility to practice at home, or attending classes, or a combination of both. Sharing yoga classes with others also opens up the potential benefits from social connection.

Remembering the average duration and frequency of yoga practice from the research, you should aim for a minimum of 4-5 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes. This frequency and duration is in line with other general exercise recommendations.

Now, time to represent the men and get my yoga on. Enjoy.