EFFECTS OF SELECTED YOGIC PRACTICES ON POSTURE ASSESSMENT AMONG FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS COMPARED WITH THE CONTROLLED GROUP

Abstract

The students in college are mostly sedentary and under tremendous pressure in studies and have postural deviations like shoulder asymmetry, abnormal curvature of the spine, and pelvic misalignment, to name a few. While multiple dimensions of posture have been recommended as beneficial targets of yoga for musculoskeletal positioning and postural alignment, little research has been conducted examining multiple dimensions of posture within a single randomized controlled study. This study evaluated the effects of a 16-week structured yoga program on shoulder tilt, pelvic tilt, kyphosis, scoliosis, and lordosis among female college students. A randomized parallel-group experimental design included 300 participants (Yoga: n = 150; Control: n = 150). The Yoga group received supervised 60-minute sessions for 16 weeks, while the Control group participated in active-rest sessions. Posture was assessed using a visual postural grid and plumb-line methods. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired t-tests with significance set at p < 0.05. The Yoga group demonstrated significant improvements across all posture variables (p < 0.001), whereas the Control group showed minimal changes. The overall posture score also improved substantially in the Yoga group. The results reveal that a carefully designed 16-week yoga program can lead to better multidimensional postural alignment and to favoring musculoskeletal health among female college students.