Effects of restorative yoga on human body and quality of life - literature review

Uvod: Obnovitvena joga je oblika aktivne sprostitve, za katero je značilna uporaba različnih pripomočkov za podporo in lažjo sprostitev telesa v različnih položajih (asanah). Od ostalih oblik joge se razlikuje po štirih načelih, ki so: sprostitev in umiritev v dobro podprtem položaju telesa, izvajanje v temnem in mirnem prostoru ter ohranjanje prijetne toplote. Njen cilj je spodbuditev procesov regeneracije preko umirjanja osrednjega živčnega sistema in posledičnega zmanjšanja izločanja stresnih hormonov. Pozitivni učinki se kažejo tako na telesnem kot duševnem zdravju z lajšanjem posledic kroničnega stresa, krepitvijo čustvene odpornosti, pomiritvijo kroničnih bolečin in glavobolov, izboljšanjem kakovosti spanca in pomočjo pri zdravstvenih težavah žensk. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je bil na podlagi pregleda literature ugotoviti, kakšne učinke ima obnovitvena joga na različne vidike človeškega organizma in kakovost življenja. Metode dela: Pregled literature je bil opravljen v elektronski podatkovni zbirki PubMed. Izbrane so bile raziskave v angleškem jeziku, v katerih so na različnih vzorcih preiskovancev ugotavljali učinke obnovitvene joge. Rezultati: Za pregled literature je bilo izbranih šest raziskav. V polovici raziskav so vključili intervencijsko in kontrolno skupino, v dveh raziskavah so učinke obnovitvene joge primerjali z učinki raztezanja, pri zadnji pa je šlo za randomizirano navzkrižno raziskavo. V vseh raziskavah so prišli do statistično značilnih rezultatov, vendar je za veliko učinkov potrebno nadaljnjo raziskovanje. Razprava in zaključek: Obnovitvena joga pozitivno vpliva na presnovo, kakovost spanca, depresijo, stres, utrujenost in bolečino. Do sprememb je prišlo tudi pri vrednostih krvnega tlaka, srčnega utripa in telesne mase. Potrebne so nadaljnje kakovostne raziskave, v katerih bodo na večjih vzorcih potrdili dosedanje ugotovitve in preverili še druge dolgoročne učinke obnovitvene joge.Introduction: Restorative yoga is a form of active relaxation, which is characterized by the use of various props in supported positions (asanas). It differs from other forms of yoga in four principles, which are relaxation in a well-supported body position, a dark and quiet practice space and maintenance of comfortable warmth of the body. Its goal is to stimulate regeneration processes by calming the central nervous system and consequently reducing the secretion of stress hormones. Positive effects are reflected in both physical and mental health by relieving the effects of chronic stress, building emotional resilience, soothing persistent pain, alleviating headaches, improving the quality of sleep and assisting women\u27s health issues. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma thesis was to determine the effects of restorative yoga on various aspects of the human body and quality of life based on a literature review. Methods: The literature review was executed in the PubMed electronic database. We reviewed scientific research in English, in which the effects of restorative yoga were determined on various groups of participants. Results: Six studies were selected for the literature review. Half of the studies included an intervention and control group, two studies compared restorative yoga and stretching, and the last one was a randomized crossover study. Statistically significant data were obtained in all studies, but many effects require further research. Discussion and conclusion: Restorative yoga has a positive effect on metabolic values, quality of sleep, depression, stress, fatigue and pain. The authors also observed changes in blood pressure, heart rate and body weight. Further qualitative research on larger groups of participants is needed to confirm the existing findings and to discover other long-term effects of restorative yoga