The effects of yoga asanas on proprioception, balance, and flexibility in middle-aged sedentary women
Orta yaş sedanter kadınlarda yoga asanalarının propriyosepsiyon, denge ve esneklik üzerine etkileri
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14687/jhs.v22i2.6602Keywords:
Yoga, Balance, Flexibility, Proprioception, Woman, Denge, Esneklik, Propriyosepsiyon, KadınAbstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of yoga asanas on proprioception, balance, and flexibility in middle-aged sedentary women. A quantitative pretest–posttest control group design was employed. Thirty sedentary women aged 45 and above voluntarily participated in the study and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=17) and a control group (n=13). The experimental group participated in a yoga asana program for eight weeks, three weekly sessions lasting 60 minutes each. The joint position sense, sit-and-reach, and Flamingo balance tests were used to measure proprioception, flexibility, and balance, respectively. Data were analyzed using a mixed ANOVA, with a significance level set at p<.05. Results indicated that yoga significantly improved flexibility and balance parameters but did not produce a statistically significant change in proprioception. Moderate to high effect sizes were observed in flexibility scores, while notable improvements were found in balance performance. However, proprioceptive outcomes showed no significant differences. In conclusion, yoga can be an effective method to enhance flexibility and balance in middle-aged sedentary women. The findings suggest that incorporating yoga-based exercise programs into public health initiatives may enhance physical fitness among sedentary individuals.
(Extended English summary is at the end of this document)
Özet
Bu araştırmanın amacı, orta yaş sedanter kadınlarda yoga asanalarının propriyosepsiyon, denge ve esneklik üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektir. Araştırmada nicel yöntemlerden kontrol gruplu ön test–son test deneysel deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya, 45 yaş üzeri sedanter yaşam süren 30 kadın katılmış; katılımcılar rastgele atama yöntemiyle deney (n=17) ve kontrol (n=13) gruplarına ayrılmıştır. Deney grubuna sekiz hafta boyunca haftada üç gün, 60 dakikalık yoga asanaları programı uygulanmıştır. Araştırmada propriyosepsiyon için eklem pozisyon hissi testi, esneklik için otur–uzan testi ve denge için Flamingo testi kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde parametrik testlerden karma ANOVA yöntemi uygulanmış, anlamlılık düzeyi p<.05 olarak belirlenmiştir. Bulgular, yoga uygulamalarının esneklik ve denge üzerinde anlamlı gelişim sağladığını, ancak propriyosepsiyon üzerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir değişim oluşturmadığını göstermiştir. Deney grubunda esneklik parametrelerinde orta–yüksek düzeyde etki büyüklükleri gözlenirken, denge becerilerinde belirgin gelişmeler elde edilmiştir. Buna karşılık propriyosepsiyon düzeylerinde anlamlı fark saptanmamıştır. Sonuç olarak yoga, orta yaş sedanter kadınlarda esneklik ve dengeyi geliştirmede etkili bir yöntem olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bulgular, yoga uygulamalarının sedanter kadınlarda fiziksel uygunluğu desteklemek amacıyla toplum sağlığı programlarına entegre edilebileceğini göstermektedir.
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