Benefits of yoga in firefighters

Perhaps it defies your mental image of firefighters, but researchers from The City University of New York report their findings.

First, the details.

• 108 firefighters participated in yoga classes during work, in their fire stations over 6 weeks.
• The classes included pranayama (breathing), asana (postures), and savasana (relaxation).
• Most were physically active but had no prior experience with yoga.

And, the results.

• 77 participants completed the study.
• There was significant improvement in the Functional Movement Screen, a 7-item test that measures functional fitness.
• Improvements were also noted in trunk flexibility and perceived stress.
• Participants also reported favorable perceptions of yoga: feeling more focused and less musculoskeletal pain.

The bottom line?

This appears to be the first study of yoga in this group of workers. Considering that about 1 in 3 failed to complete the study, the biggest challenge appears to be in getting firefighters to participate long-term.

Otherwise, the findings “indicate that participants benefited from yoga,” concluded the authors.

12/20/09 14:09 JR