A study on Impact of Yoga in improvement of Physical Psychological and Social fitness among adolescents

Abstract

Discovering and promoting ways to improve adolescents overall fitness has been a recurrent newlineconcern and challenge in the field of health and psychology. Adolescence, as a period of newlinetransition, is highly prone to health risks and unhealthy behavior patterns. Decrease in newlinephysical activity, improper food habits, and sedentary lifestyle in adolescents are very newlineprevalent today. These factors can constitute risks to physical, mental, and social health. newlineAdolescence is the right time to promote healthy practices to prevent problems of health and newlinebehavior in adulthood. newlineEven though, fitness during adolescence is considered essential, there is a dearth for effective newlineprograms that promote overall fitness in adolescents. Available programs lack in holisticity newlineor integrative approach as they focus on either of the fitness domains such as physical, newlinepsychological, or social domains. newlineIndian classical texts provide immense conceptual resources and guidelines on different newlineaspects of life. Texts like Bhagavad-Gita, Taittiriya Upanishad, Patanjali Yoga Sutras explain newlinevarious components of fitness and techniques that promote fitness at different domains. newlineIntegrative approach Yoga is considered an important intervention that provides the right dose newlineof activities to promote health and wellbeing at all five koshas. Research studies indicate that newlinealthough yoga is being implemented in schools, little is done on studying its effect on overall newlinefitness of adolescents. newlineWhile yoga in schools is a popular program, residential yoga camps for adolescents are less newlineheard. Further, research studies on the effect of short-term residential yoga program has not been cited. There is also a need to develop effective holistic yoga program that can be newlinereplicated in different adolescent populations and different setting other than school as well. newline