Moderate Aerobic Activity Through Yoga

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University21 enrolled

Overview

The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGA) recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity for adult (18 years and older) Americans to promote health. PAGA also recommends that older adults (65+) engage in multicomponent and balance exercises weekly as a way to reduce falls and injuries from falls. This recommendation includes yoga, however, the current research and recommendations on using yoga to meet moderate intensity activity guidelines is limited. This study will utilize heart rate monitoring to determine if certain styles of yoga can be used to meet the PAGA.

The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week to promote health. The most recent scientific advisory committee had insufficient evidence to provide recommendations on how the physical practice of yoga fits into the physical activity guidelines. Currently, there have been few studies done on yoga and its relative intensity. Previous randomized, cross-over trial to determine the effects of room temperature (hot yoga versus thermo-neutral environment) on subjective and objective markers of exercise intensity. They concluded that using objective markers (%VO2max) both thermo-neutral and hot yoga would be considered light intensity activity. Previous investigation of power yoga, heart rate, skin temperature, and body mass to determine that power yoga could be considered a moderate-vigorous intensity activity. Currently, there is a gap in the research on understanding the intensity of exercise offered within a typical yoga studio including "flow", hatha/classical, and hot yoga. Most yoga classes are about 60 minutes in length, and yoga classes of that length have not been investigated. There is also minimal research done on whether wearable activity trackers and accelerometers are able to accurately assess heart rate, and therefore activity intensity level in a yoga setting.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Physical Activity

Interventions

Behavioral and environmentalOTHER

These are all active comparator yoga sequences

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 YearsMax age: 85 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Assessed as physical activity readiness i. For those 65-70 years of age. We will also use the Physical Readiness Questionnaire Plus-this "plus" version was developed to be more inclusive of those with limited mobility and not to over-exclude older adults in other clinical trials. If a participant fails the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire + (PARQ+), a physician's approval will be mandatory ii. For those 70-85 years of age. Complete PARQ+ as well as physician approval. * Comprehension of English language * Able to physically attend class at the yoga studio Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindication to physical activity including but not limited to people who can independently walk and stand. This will be part of the verbal screening protocol using Falls Efficacy Scale (FES). This scale has a minimum of 16 (no concern about falling) to maximum of 64 (severe concern about falling). Participants with FES score \> 23 will be deemed high concern about falling and be excluded from participation. * Assesses the presence and severity of 13 psychiatric symptom domains that cut across diagnostic boundaries. These domains include depression, anger, mania, anxiety, somatic symptoms, sleep disturbance, psychosis, obsessive thoughts and behaviors, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, substance use (e.g., alcohol, nicotine, prescription medication, and illicit substance use), personality functioning, dissociation, and cognition/memory problems in adults. Level 1 of this measure includes 23 questions across the 13 domains.

Locations (1)

Samantha M Harden

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Continuous heart rate

Polar Version OH1

Time frame: orientation to week 0 (baseline)

Continuous heart rate

Polar Version OH1

Time frame: orientation to week 1

Continuous heart rate

Polar Version OH1

Time frame: orientation to week 1.5

Continuous heart rate

Polar Version OH1

Time frame: orientation to week 2

Continuous heart rate

Polar Version OH1

Time frame: orientation to week 2.5

Secondary Outcomes

Modified Borg Scale

2-items, 1 (very light activity) -10 (maximal effort)

Time frame: orientation to week 1

Modified Borg Scale

2-items, 1 (very light activity) -10 (maximal effort)

Time frame: orientation to week 1.5

Modified Borg Scale

2-items, 1 (very light activity) -10 (maximal effort)

Time frame: orientation to week 2

Modified Borg Scale

2-items, 1 (very light activity) -10 (maximal effort)

Time frame: orientation to week 2.5

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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