Yoga versus aerobic exercise in mental well-being

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare yoga and\ud aerobic exercise in its effects of promoting mental well-being in college students. This\ud study will specifically compare mental well-being and autonomic nervous system\ud function in college students enrolled in yoga and aerobic activity type course. Methods:\ud There were a total of 334 participants enrolled in either a yoga or aerobic type activity\ud course. Each student completed a total of five surveys to assess mental well-being. Based\ud off indicated interest 32 individuals were randomly selected to participate in measures to\ud assess heart rate variability, which is an indicator of autonomic function. Results: There\ud were no significant differences found between activity type and better overall mental\ud well-being indicated by the questionnaire. There were also no significant differences\ud found in heart rate variability indices between groups. Conclusion: Individuals who have\ud been participating in physical activity for longer periods of time tend to have lower levels\ud of stress