Internationale Zeitschrift für Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation
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Comparison of Yoga Versus Static Stretching for Increasing Hip and Shoulder Range of Motion

Melayna Sager and Sylvain Grenier

Background/Purpose: Currently the most common method to increase flexibility is through static stretching, however yoga is rising in popularity. The purpose of the study was to compare yoga and static stretching to determine which is most effective for improving hip and shoulder range of motion. Methods: Subjects participated in one of three groups, yoga, stretching and control. Range of motion was assessed on entry and 1 month later. An analysis of variance was conducted for comparison between each group. A p value of 0.05 was used to determine if the data is significantly different. Results: Compared to the control group, those who participated in the one-month class, both yoga and static stretching showed significant improvements in range of motion. The yoga group showed a greater range of motion improvement that the static stretching group with a mean difference of 1.08902 degrees (p<0.001, 95% confidence interval, η2=0.224). Conclusions: Yoga is shown to have a greater effect on range of motion at the shoulder and hip than static stretching in a healthy population. With further positive results, yoga may prove to have an important therapeutic role with joint restrictions.