| Abstrakt: |
AbstractThe present study was undertaken on 20 female volunteers who were undergoing the certificate course at SAI NSNIS, Patiala. They undertook a total of four hours of yoga exercises, six day a weeks. Before the training programme started, the volunteers were physiologically assessed for their weight, body fat percentage, resting heat rate, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lung function test involving measurement of vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max) was assessed by a computerized metabolic analyser, by graded cycle ergometry.A two test battery, involving lying to standing test and cold pressor test were used to assess the functional status of their autonomic nervous system. The same measurements were repeated after four weeks of yoga training. It was observed that body fat percentage was reduced significantly and so did the resting heart rate and resting (standing) systolic blood pressure. The VO2max exhibited significant improvement and the PEF was also found to improve significantly. Our findings strongly suggests, among others, that although significant changes and alterations have been effected in four week yoga training in some of the parameters, but possibly a greater time period is required to affect the physiology of major body system and cause a significant generalized change in the physiological status. |
