Flexibility, functional autonomy and quality of life (QoL) in elderly yoga practitioners

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 158 - 162
• Main Authors: Gonçalves, Leila Castro, Vale, Rodrigo Gomes de Souza, Barata, Neyber Joaquim Fontes, Varejão, Ronaldo Vivone, Dantas, Estélio Henrique Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - physiology; Autonomy; Body Mass Index; Elderly people; Female; Flexibility; Humans; Internal Medicine; Joints - physiology; Meditation - methods; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Range of motion during aging; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Yoga; Range of motion during aging; Activities of daily living; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2010.10.028

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the levels of flexibility, functional autonomy and QoL in elderly yoga practitioners. The subjects were divided into a yoga group (YG; n = 52; age = 66.79 ± 3.30 years; BMI = 24.77 ± 3.18) and control group (CG; n = 31; age = 69.33 ± 4.84 years; BMI = 24.32 ± 3.71) and submitted to flexibility tests through goniometry, the LADEG autonomy protocol and QoL, using the WHOQOL-Old questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA showed increases in articular range of motion in shoulder abduction ( Δ %SA = 14.11%; p = 0.0001), horizontal shoulder extension ( Δ %HSE = 33.90%; p = 0.0001), lumbar spine flexion ( Δ %LSF = 50.74%; p = 0.0001), hip flexion ( Δ %HF = 35.75%; p = 0.0001), hip extension ( Δ %HE = 10.93%; p = 0.021) and knee flexion ( Δ %KF = 3.90%; p = 0.001) and in the GDLAM autonomy index ( Δ %AI = −13.67%; p = 0.0001) in the YG compared to the CG. The Mann–Whitney test revealed increases in QoL scores in Facet 1 ( Δ %Fac1 = 9.04%; p = 0.043), Facet 5 ( Δ %Fac5 = 51.06%; p = 0.0001) and in overall QoL ( Δ %OqoL = 8.13%; p = 0.046) in the YG compared to the CG. The remaining variables showed no significant intergroup modifications. Thus, the study suggests that the regular practice of yoga may lead to improved range of motion in the performance of activities of daily living in elderly women.