Effects of Tele-yoga in Long-term Conditions

Overview

Long-term illness is common in the Swedish population, especially among older people. These conditions are often associated with impaired quality of life due to high physical and psychological symptom-burden. Medical Yoga is a therapeutic form of Kundalini Yoga with simple movements, breathing exercises and meditation. For people with serious long-term illness, it can be difficult to attend regular yoga-classes. In this study, the investigators therefore set out to develop a tele-yoga intervention and evaluate the impact of medical yoga remotely at home with regard to physical function, quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depression, biomarkers, sleep and cognition in people with long-term conditions. Health care utilisation as well as satisfaction and experiences with the exercise form and technology used will also be assessed. The evaluation will be conducted in 150 people with long-term illness recruited from three hospitals (one university hospital and two county hospital) randomised to receive either an intervention with medical yoga remotely at home (tele-yoga) for 12 weeks or a control group receiving individualised training to the same extent. The tele-yoga intervention will be provided remotely in the home via a video-transferred yoga instructor twice a week using a tablet and an app for individual daily exercise. Data will be collected at baseline, after 3 and 6 months. Despite evidence that physical activity improves quality of life and functional capacity and probably survival, it is difficult to motivate and enable elderly people with long-term conditions to engage in physical and mental rehabilitation. In this study, we will test whether a new method conveyed through a technical solution remotely can increase patients' activity and well-being through allowing tele-yoga at home. Can health care resources be reduced, financial gains can also be made. The study aims to evaluate the impact of medical yoga remotely at home with regard to physical function, quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depression, biomarkers, sleep and cognition in people with long-term conditions. The investigators will also measure health care utilisation as well as satisfaction and experiences with the exercise form and technology used. The evaluation will be conducted in 300 people with long-term illness randomised to either tele-yoga or a control group.

A sub-study will be conducted exploring physiological effects of yoga in participants with heart failure. The sub-study will include 40 of the patients with heart failure included in the main study. In the sub-study six additional measures will be performed at baseline and after 3 months in 20 study participants with heart failure in the intervention group; ergospirometry, echocardiography, Holter ECG, microcirculation using the epos system, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure. There will be four additional measures in 20 participants from the control-group at baseline and after 3 months; Holter ECG, microcirculation using the epos system and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure.