The immediate and durable effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress and the underlying mechanisms. Participants: Healthy undergraduates from four yoga and four fitness classes participated in Study 1 (n = 191) and Study 2 (n = 143), respectively (in 2017 Fall). Methods: Study 1 evaluated the immediate effect (a 60-minute practice) while Study 2 evaluated the durable effect (a 12-week intervention). Results: Results showed that immediate stress reduction was more salient in the yoga group than that in the fitness group in Study 1. Yoga group had a greater increase in mindfulness, which predicted stress reduction. Similar observations were made in Study 2 showing the durable effect of yoga on stress reduction through mindfulness. Conclusions: Yoga intervention is better than fitness exercises in helping undergraduates cultivate mindfulness and reduce stress. These findings may guide future interventions in stress management in college students.

Keywords:

• College students
• stress reduction
• mental health
• mindfulness
• non-medical interventions

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China [grant number 31400905]; Peking University (Standard Research of Yoga Teaching Project 2016); and Social Science Research of Ministry of Education in China [grant number 17YJA890009]. The sponsors financially supported data collection.