Yoga in public school improves adolescent mood and affect

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sports Science
• Education

Background:

• Student mental well-being is a growing concern in educational settings.
• Physical education (PE) is a common intervention, but its specific mood effects require comparison with other activities.
• Yoga's potential psychological benefits are increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly compare the acute effects of a single yoga class versus a single physical education (PE) class on high school students' mood.
• To identify unique psychological benefits of yoga in a school setting.

Main Methods:

• Forty-seven high school students participated in both a single yoga class and a single PE class, separated by one week.
• Mood and affect were assessed using self-report questionnaires immediately before and after each class.
• Data were analyzed using paired-samples t tests, Wilcoxon-signed ranks tests, and effect size comparisons.

Main Results:

• Participants reported significantly greater decreases in anger, depression, and fatigue after yoga compared to PE.
• Yoga led to significant reductions in negative affect, while PE did not show this effect.
• Both yoga and PE resulted in significant decreases in confusion and tension, with no significant difference between the two.

Conclusions:

• School-based yoga may offer distinct psychological benefits for students that surpass those of standard physical education.
• Yoga interventions show promise for improving student mood and reducing negative affect.
• Further research is needed to understand the specific psychological and physiological impacts of yoga compared to PE.