Does yoga training relate to health-promoting modifications of anthropometric indicators of overweight and quality of life in young women? Preliminary observations
Does yoga training relate to health-promoting modifications of anthropometric indicators of overweight and quality of life in young women? Preliminary observations

Summary/Abstract: Background: Overweight and obesity are global civilization problems affecting all age groups, including in Poland. According to the Central Statistical Office, the prevalence of excessive body weight among young women in 2022 was 20%. Being overweight leads to numerous complications and increases the risk of chronic diseases. There is also a confirmed link between obesity and low self-acceptance, leading to a decrease in quality of life, especially among women. Health-promoting lifestyle modifications, including physical activity and diet, play a crucial role in obesity prevention and treatment. Regular physical activity, such as yoga, is also associated with improved quality of life, particularly in the psychological domain. Aim of the study: The study aimed to assess changes in anthropometric indicators of body weight, including body mass index (BMI), weight change (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and quality of life (36-item short form survey [SF-36]) after eight weeks of yoga training conducted three times a week, with each session lasting for 45 minutes.Material and methods: The study included 27 women with an average age of 31.48 years ± 10.98, who were not undergoing any medical therapy or engaging in other physical training and were not pregnant. The participants did not make any changes to their diet during the study. The results were subjected to statistical analysis, with the normality of variable distribution assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the difference between variables analyzed using either the Student's t-test or the Wilcoxon test. The relationships between variables were examined by Spearman's rank correlation.Results: The analysis showed that yoga training led to a statistically significant increase in quality of life across all domains. However, there were no substantial changes observed in BMI, WC, or WHR before and after the training, which may be attributed to the small sample size and requires further research.Conclusion: Based on the preliminary results, it can be inferred that an eight-week yoga training program may be recommended as a method to improve the quality of life in women.

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