Comparative study on the effects of yoga on soft surface on sleep, strength, flexibility, and balance in senior university students with mild insomnia
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the influence of yoga exercises performed on soft versus hard surfaces and to compare these effects with those of general exercise on sleep quality and isometric muscle strength, flexibility, and dynamic balance outcomes in senior university students with mild insomnia. An assessor-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 13 participants per group aged 18 years and older randomly assigned to practice yoga on a hard surface (YH), a soft surface (YS), or a control group that received a guidebook, in 45-minute sessions, three days a week, for four weeks. Sleep quality, the main outcome, improved markedly from baseline, most notably among those who practiced yoga on a soft surface, with a mean PSQI reduction of 7.11 points (95% CI: 3.81–10.41). In addition, muscle strength and flexibility also showed significant improvements. Thus, yoga, particularly on a soft surface, could effectively enhance sleep quality, muscle strength, and flexibility in senior university students facing sleep problems.
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References
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