Birkel D A, Edgren L
School of Physical Education, Ball State University, Muncie, USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2000 Nov;6(6):55-63.
The vital capacity of the lungs is a critical component of good health. Vital capacity is an important concern for those with asthma, heart conditions, and lung ailments; those who smoke; and those who have no known lung problems.
To determine the effects of yoga postures and breathing exercises on vital capacity.
Using the Spiropet spirometer, researchers measured vital capacity. Vital capacity determinants were taken near the beginning and end of two 17-week semesters. No control group was used.
Midwestern university yoga classes taken for college credit.
A total of 287 college students, 89 men and 198 women.
Subjects were taught yoga poses, breathing techniques, and relaxation in two 50-minute class meetings for 15 weeks.
Vital capacity over time for smokers, asthmatics, and those with no known lung disease.
The study showed a statistically significant (P < .001) improvement in vital capacity across all categories over time.
It is not known whether these findings were the result of yoga poses, breathing techniques, relaxation, or other aspects of exercise in the subjects' life. The subjects' adherence to attending class was 99.96%. The large number of 287 subjects is considered to be a valid number for a study of this type. These findings are consistent with other research studies reporting the positive effect of yoga on the vital capacity of the lungs.
肺活量是身体健康的关键组成部分。肺活量对于哮喘患者、心脏病患者、肺部疾病患者、吸烟者以及无已知肺部问题的人来说都是一个重要关注点。
确定瑜伽姿势和呼吸练习对肺活量的影响。
研究人员使用Spiropet肺活量计测量肺活量。在两个为期17周的学期开始和接近结束时测定肺活量的决定因素。未设置对照组。
中西部大学为获得大学学分而开设的瑜伽课程。
共有287名大学生，其中89名男性和198名女性。
在15周内，通过两次50分钟的课程向受试者教授瑜伽姿势、呼吸技巧和放松方法。
吸烟者、哮喘患者和无已知肺部疾病者随时间变化的肺活量。
研究表明，随着时间推移，所有类别受试者的肺活量均有统计学意义上的显著改善（P < .001）。
尚不清楚这些结果是瑜伽姿势、呼吸技巧、放松还是受试者生活中锻炼的其他方面所致。受试者的上课出勤率为99.96%。287名受试者的大样本量被认为对于此类研究是一个有效的样本量。这些结果与其他报道瑜伽对肺活量有积极影响的研究一致。
