1. The immediate and durable effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress.
- Author
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Tong, Jiajin, Qi, Xin, He, Zhonghui, Chen, Senlin, Pedersen, Scott J., Cooley, P. Dean, Spencer-Rodgers, Julie, He, Shuchang, and Zhu, Xiangyi
- Subjects
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PREVENTION of psychological stress , *MINDFULNESS , *CLINICAL trials , *YOGA , *PHYSICAL fitness , *EXERCISE physiology , *UNDERGRADUATES , *EXERCISE , *STRESS management , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress and the underlying mechanisms. Participants: Healthy undergraduates from four yoga and four fitness classes participated in Study 1 (n = 191) and Study 2 (n = 143), respectively (in 2017 Fall). Methods: Study 1 evaluated the immediate effect (a 60-minute practice) while Study 2 evaluated the durable effect (a 12-week intervention). Results: Results showed that immediate stress reduction was more salient in the yoga group than that in the fitness group in Study 1. Yoga group had a greater increase in mindfulness, which predicted stress reduction. Similar observations were made in Study 2 showing the durable effect of yoga on stress reduction through mindfulness. Conclusions: Yoga intervention is better than fitness exercises in helping undergraduates cultivate mindfulness and reduce stress. These findings may guide future interventions in stress management in college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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