Psychophysiological responses across the menstrual cycle in low fit college women after yoga training

• Main Authors: Tushar Kanti Bera, Sanjay Uddhav Shete, Anita Verma, Nirmala Sharma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
• Series: Yoga-Mimamsa
• Subjects: college women; menstruation problems; yoga
• Online Access: http://www.ym-kdham.in/article.asp?issn=0044-0507;year=2017;volume=49;issue=1;spage=3;epage=8;aulast=Bera

Background: Women of reproductive age suffer from menses-associated health problems such as premenstrual symptoms, menstrual pain, and irregular menstrual cycles. Research has proved that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a psychophysiological and a stress-induced disorder and that stress is a cause of symptoms of PMS. Objective: This controlled experiment was conducted with a view to examine the effect of full course of yoga training (suggested by Swami Kuvalayananda) on psychophysiological responses across menstrual cycle in low fit college women. Methods: A total of 55 low fit college women, aged 20–30 years, with problems in menstrual cycle, volunteered in this study and were divided randomly into two groups, namely, yoga group (n1 = 27) and control group (n2 = 28). At the baseline and after completion of 12 weeks of yoga training, both the groups were assessed for menstrual status, pain tolerance, resting pulse rate, and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) using standard tools. The yoga group practiced a set of full course of yoga for 1 h daily in the morning (6:30–7:30), 6 days in a week (except Sundays and holidays), for a total period of 12 weeks, whereas the control group did not participate in the said yoga program but were involved in some recreational activities and/or library reading during the tenure of experiment. Results: The result of factorial ANOVA followed by Scheffe's post hoc test indicates that yoga training could bring down pulse rate (CD = 0.43, p < 0.05) and blood pressure (CD = 0.47, p < 0.01) at a normal range, whereas it could bring a statistically significant improvement in the symptoms of menstrual problems (CD = 0.45, p < 0.01) and pain tolerance ability (CD = 0.40, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Yoga training could contribute to improvement in the psychophysiological responses across menstrual cycle among the low fit college women.