Restorative Yoga and Metabolic Risk Factors (Open Access)

This study, published in the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications, compared restorative yoga and active stretching for “underactive adults with the metabolic syndrome.” Metabolic syndrome is collection of health factors that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It includes high blood pressure, low “good cholesterol,” high blood sugar, body fat centered around the waist, and high triglyceride levels, with at least 3 of the 5 required for a diagnosis.

For the study design, participants were divided into a yoga group and a stretching group, and both had a combination of professional training and self-guided practice. The study’s yoga group used 5 different poses held from 10 to 15 minutes each, while the stretching participants used a series of 27 stretches involving all parts of the body. For all participants, the study provided group training twice a week for the first 12 weeks, once a week for the next 12 weeks, then monthly for the last 24 weeks. Participants were asked to practice at home at least 3 times each week on their own.

Results

The results of the study showed a lot of improvement for both the stretching and the yoga groups, with the yoga group seeing some added benefit. Both groups lost weight and reduced their waist size, improved overall levels of physical activity, and improved their metabolic markers. The restorative yoga group also saw a significant improvement in their fasting glucose levels that the active stretching group did not.

Restorative Yoga vs. Stretching for Cortisol Levels in People with Metabolic Syndrome (Open Access)

This study, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, looked at day-time cortisol levels for people with metabolic syndrome to see if stretching or restorative yoga made a significant difference over the course of a year. Like the other comparison study, participants in both groups did group training twice a week for 12 weeks, once a week for the next 12 weeks, then once a month for the next 6 months, with 3 home practices of at least 30 minutes each per week.

Results

After the full study period, the stretching group showed improvements in cortisol, but the yoga group did not. Using surveys and discussion, researchers found that the stretching group had a greater sense of belonging from their group training, probably because it was interactive, while the yoga was quiet and self-reflective. This greater level of socialization seemed to make a difference in the cortisol levels – so if you’re looking to reduce cortisol, interact with people, participate in a group, and do something that fosters a sense of community. It’s one area where independent yoga seems less useful than other interventions.

Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga for Sleep Quality Among Cancer Survivors (Open Access)

Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, this study chose to examine the impact of hatha (normal) and restorative yoga on sleep because of how common sleep issues are for survivors of cancer – between 30% and 90% of survivors report issues with sleep quality after treatment. For the study, participants were divided into two groups: the control group, which was provided with their ongoing treatment alone, and a yoga group that attended 75-minute yoga classes twice a week for four weeks, in addition to their standard ongoing care.

Results

Yoga made a big difference in sleep. Compared to the control group, yoga participants slept better and used less medication (compared to their pre-trial levels) in order to fall asleep. Participants improved in important areas that the control group did not, including their ability to fall asleep, how long they slept, and their functioning while awake. They also improved significantly more than the control group (in the statistical sense, meaning not likely to be the result of random chance) in global sleep quality, subjective sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency. Yoga had the most benefit for people who had the worst sleep issues to start with, but also benefited participants who’s starting conditions were less severe.

Restorative yoga for women with breast cancer: findings from a randomized pilot study (Open Access PDF)

This small study, published in Psycho-oncology, compared a yoga group who added a 75-minute restorative yoga class once a week for 10 weeks, with a wait-list group that continued their standard treatment alone. About a third of participants were actively undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the time of the study, while the remainder were post-primary treatment. The yoga instructor was a cancer-survivor with cancer-specific yoga training. In addition to the poses, the class focused on deep relaxation, breathing, and the principle of being gentle to oneself.  

Results

Restorative yoga helped mood and mental health. Participants who engaged in yoga saw improvements in mental health, depression and positive affect when compared to the control group, and personal improvements in fatigue when compared to their baseline measurements. Women who started with a higher negative affect and lower emotional well-being saw the most benefit from the yoga classes. The study also found that distance and health fluxuations can make off-site attendance in yoga classes challenging for people with cancer, which should be taken into consideration in future studies.