Effects of hatha yoga on well-being in healthy adults in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran

There have been many studies on yoga and its effects on physical function, but less attention has been paid to self assessment of improvement in physical and mental health and well-being by yoga practitioners. This study was designed with that purpose using the SF-36 questionnaire in 107 volunteers [44 males and 63 females, mean age 34 (standard deviation 7) years] who attended yoga classes for 6 months. They completed the questionnaire before and after the yoga practice. There was significant improvement in scores for all health items. The differences according to age, sex and education level were not significant. It is concluded that yoga can improve physical and mental health, and promotes well-being.