Weight bearing yoga training has a positive effect on bone in postmenopausal women by slowing down bone resorption. - GreenMedInfo Summary

This study was a preliminary report to investigate the effects of the weight bearing yoga training on both bone resorption marker and the quality of life of the postmenopausal women. The samples were recruited by the purposive sampling from the female Chulalongkorn University staff aged between 50-60 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. The baseline demographic data, the bone resorption marker (beta-CrossLaps), the bone formation marker (P1NP) and quality of Life (SF-36) data were collected. The experimental group attended the 12-week weight-bearing yoga training 3 days a week, 50 minutes a day while the control group lived their normal lives. After 12th week, the data collections were repeated in both groups. The experimental group (19 subjects, the mean age 54.320 yrs) and the control group (14 subjects, the mean age 54.430 yrs) were recruited. The mean ultrasound BMD of both heels in both groups showed no osteopenia or osteoporosis. After the 12-week training, the mean bone resorption marker (beta-CrossLaps) of the experimental group reduced from 0.464 to 0.339 ng/ml (-26.939%) whereas the control group reduced from 0.389 to 0.386 ng/ml (-0.771%). There was a significant difference (p<0.05). The mean of the bone formation markers (PINP) in the experimental group reduced from 55.393 to 42.401 ng/ml (-23.454%) and the bone formation markers (PINP) in the control group reduced from 61.903 to 44.832 ng/ml (-27.577%). In the area of the life quality measurement of both groups, the data obtained from the medical outcomes study short-form survey (SF-36) showed that there were significant differences at 0.05 levels for the physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, and vitality. The variance of percentage change value of the experimental group increased to +25.299, +16.565, +15.309, and +21.056. The variance of percentage change value of the control group increased to +12.946, -1.221, -9.303 and +2.291. The weigh-bearing yoga training had a positive effect on bone by slowing down bone resorption which was a very essential indicator for human health because it reduced the osteoporosis risks in the postmenopausal women. Additionally, yoga training promoted better quality of life.