Efficiency of short term Yoga practice on Pulmonary Function Tests in Healthy Young Females : A Randomized Control Trial
Abstract
During recent years, a bit attention is given toward holistic therapy along with allopathic medicine in comprehensive care. The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of yogic practice on few pulmonary functions. Ninety healthy young female of age group 17-25 yrs subjects were selected for this study after excluding pregnant and chronic diseased females. These 90 females were randomized through chit box method into two groups i.e. one group was instructed for doing yogic practice daily for about one hour for 6 weeks and other one was called upon after six week after recording desired information. The PFT observations were recorded by RMS HELIOS 701, in the form of FVC, FEV-l and PEFR on day-1 and at the end of 6 weeks in both the group. There was significant increase in FVC, FEV-l, FEV1/FVC and PEFR at the end of 6 weeks was found in females of group doing yogic exercise than who had not done exercises. So exercises should be promoted to increase lung capacity especially in asthmatic cases and cases with other lung diseases.
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Introduction
Yoga is a science which has been practiced in India from over thousands of years. Besides its spiritual achievements, the practice of yoga is accompanied by a number of beneficial physiological effects in the body. Yogic techniques, which aim at physical and mental self culture, have convincing scientific basis and produce consistent physiological changes1,2,3 .It has been reported that yogis are capable of remarkable feats of endurance 4-5 and controlling their autonomic functions 6-7 . There is evidence that the practice of yoga improves cardio-respiratory efficiency and performance quotient 8.Medical science tries to achieve an optimum physical and mental health of individual through preventive, curative and promotive means14. In yogic practices the stress is mainly on the promotive aspects, although some yogic methods are prescribed for curative method as well. In the recent years a lot of research work has been done to improve the beneficial effect of yogic training. Yogasanas help in prevention, control and rehabilitation of many respiratory diseases4 .
Numerous studies have been done to know the effect of yogic practices on pulmonary functions. Udupa et al1 studied the effects of some breathing exercises (Pranayama) in normal persons. Nayar et al2 documented the effects of yogic exercises on human physical efficiency. In other study oxygen consumption during 3 yoga breathing patterns was shown by Miles Wales3 . All three of the yoga breathing patterns examined, when individually continued for 20 min or more and compared with previous relaxed quiet breathing, were found to demand an increased oxygen consumption of a mere 12–35% above basal need. The relaxed breathing that immediately followed a yoga pattern gave little or no indication that the subject had been exerting himself. In a related work Makwana et al4 studied the effects of short term yoga practice on pulmonary function tests4 . The present study has been done exclusively on young healthy females to add more data in the field of yoga and pulmonary functions. This study has been designed to explain and ascertain the promotive aspects of health and yoga. Researchers and physicians all over the world now recommend a yogic lifestyle. It keeps a person physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. Breathing is considered to be a regulator of the autonomic nervous system and consequently of mental processes as Swami Rama stated “controlling the breath and thus calming the nerves is a prerequisite to controlling the mind and the body”.
Conclusion
As yogic exercises significantly increases FEV1, PEER and FEV1/FVC ratio after 6 weeks of exercises. Thus practice of yogic exercises seems to be beneficial for respiratory efficiency