Recreational Yoga and Emotional-Autonomic Health in Older Adults

Mersin University36 enrolled

Overview

Older adults living in nursing homes often experience depression, reduced satisfaction with daily activities, and changes in heart rhythm related to the autonomic nervous system. Non-drug approaches that are safe and easy to apply may help improve both emotional well-being and physical health in this population. This randomized controlled study investigates the effects of a recreational therapy-based yoga program on emotional health and autonomic nervous system function in nursing home residents aged 65 years and older. Participants are randomly assigned to either a yoga intervention group or a control group. The yoga group participates in supervised yoga sessions twice a week for 10 weeks, including gentle yoga postures, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation. The control group does not receive any structured intervention during the study period. Depression levels, leisure time satisfaction, and heart rate variability are measured before and after the intervention. Heart rate variability is used as an indicator of autonomic nervous system regulation. The study aims to determine whether recreational yoga can be a safe, low-cost, and effective non-pharmacological approach to improve emotional well-being and autonomic health among older adults living in nursing homes.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Depression in Older Adults Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Interventions

Recreational Therapy-Based YogaBEHAVIORAL

The yoga intervention consists of supervised group sessions including relaxation exercises, basic and progressive yoga postures (asanas), breathing exercises, and meditation. Sessions are held twice per week for 10 weeks. Supportive equipment such as chairs, cushions, blocks, and towels is used to ensure participant comfort and minimize injury risk.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 65 years or older. * Living in a nursing home. * Able to communicate and follow instructions. * Voluntary participation with signed informed consent. * Available to participate in the 10-week study protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in therapy-based practices (e.g., yoga, reiki, massage) within the last month. * Being bedridden. * Use of psychiatric medications. * Irregular participation in the 10-week yoga program. * Failure to complete pre-test or post-test assessments

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Depression Level

Depression levels are assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), a validated self-report questionnaire for older adults. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptoms.

Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the 10-week intervention period

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Autonomic nervous system function is evaluated using heart rate variability parameters measured with a chest-worn heart rate monitor. Time-domain, frequency-domain, and non-linear HRV parameters are analyzed to assess sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.