Development of an Evidence-Based Yoga Programme for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

To develop an evidence-based yoga programme and test its feasibility among community-dwelling older adults.

A mixed-methods pilot study using a two-arm randomised controlled trial with qualitative interviews.

An 8-week evidence-based yoga programme was developed for older adults based on a systematic review, guidelines and expert advice. Participants from two community centres were randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving the yoga programme or a control group receiving usual care between January and October 2021. The study's feasibility was assessed based on rates of recruitment and retention, intervention adherence and adverse events. Acceptability was evaluated by individual semistructured interviews to understand their experience with the programme. Physical and psychological outcomes were measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, respectively. Preliminary effects of the intervention were examined based on changes in outcomes using a generalised estimation equation, adhering to the intention-to-treat principle. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis.

A total of 74 of 80 participants were eligible and recruited (female: 97.3%; mean age: 67.6 [SD 5.5] years), with an attrition rate of 14.9% (n = 11). The mean attendance rate for yoga sessions was 89.9%. Participants found the experience with the programme novel and perceived benefits for pain reduction and improvements in mood and health; however, two-thirds did not adhere to home practice due to implementation barriers. Exploratory analyses suggested greater improvements in gait speed, flexibility and depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms in the yoga group compared with controls.

This pilot study showed that the yoga programme was feasible and acceptable to community-dwelling older adults, whereas the adherence to home practice was low, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance motivation.

This study suggests that the programme can be integrated into primary care to promote healthy ageing. A robust study with a longer follow-up period is needed to evaluate the intervention effects. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200054859.