The yoga quick fix - effects of a two-week online-intervention on health-related outcomes

Abstract

Background: The usefulness of Yoga on health-related outcomes has been shown numerous times in the past. However, the effectiveness of an Online-Yoga intervention has not. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of a two-week online yoga practice on different health related outcomes by using a correlative cross-sectional as well as a randomized controlled intervention study design. Method: The sample of the cross-sectional study at the first time point consisted of 476 participants (399 female, 77 male). The data was collected online at four time points in total: Just before the yoga-course, after one week, after two weeks and four weeks after completion of the intervention. Findings: The analysis of the cross-sectional data from the first measurement showed significant correlations between a regular yoga practice and the constructs body-awareness, mindfulness, satisfaction with life, and positive affect. No correlations were found for stress, depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Within the intervention study 128 randomized participants (103 female, 25 male) were compared: An intervention group, which performed an online yoga course as a daily intervention for two weeks and a control group, which had to watch the daily news. In order to control for the effects of an existing yoga practice this variable was used as a covariate. However, none of the hypothesized effects emerged. Discussion: Correlational analyses of the cross-sectional data partly support the positive effects associated with yoga on health related variables. No evidence for the short term efficacy of a two week online-yoga intervention could be shown, though.