Impact of Short-Term Practice of Yoga on Forced Vital Capacity, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1st Second and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate in Healthy Adults Vinay A.V.1,,*, Venkatesh D.2, Ambarish V.3 1Assistant Professor, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Affiliated to Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India 2Professor and 3Associate Professor, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India (*Corresponding author) email id: *av17vinay@gmail.com, 2venkatesh40@gmail.com, 3ambarish.vijayaraghava@gmail.com
Abstract Background & Objectives: Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient civilisation to modern world. It emphasise on importance of healthy life style to achieve a balance between body and mind. Rapid urbanisation and deviation from healthy life style makes us susceptible to increase respiratory illness and complications. Practice of yoga has been proposed to affect functioning capacity of pulmonary system. This study was intended to assay the effect of short-term practice of yoga on FVC (Forced vital capacity), FEV1 (Forced Expiratory volume in 1st second) and PEF (Peak Expiratory flow rate). Methodology: A total of 40 healthy male volunteers in the age group of 30–60 years willing to practice yoga for a month were included in the study. FVC, FEV1 and PEF were assessed by using computerised spirometry (Respmed Spirobank G, MIR SRL, Italy). Pre interventional assessments of FVC, FEV1 and PEF were done in these subjects. Practice of yoga that included a set of physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana) were performed for an hour daily for 1 month under the guidance of a certified yoga instructor. Post-interventional assessments of FVC, FEV1 and PEF were done after 1 month. The values were expressed in mean ± standard deviation or median and their interquartile range (IQR) and statistical analysis was done to compare the changes using paired t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Out of 40 subjects, 32 have recruited for yoga practice and completed the study protocol. The pulmonary function parameters FVC and PEF showed a significant improvement after 1 month practice of yoga. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Conclusion: Flow and volume component of pulmonary functions improved after 1 month practice of yoga. Top Keywords Forced expiratory volume in 1st second, Forced vital capacity, Peak expiratory flow rate, Pranayama, Yoga
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