Weight Loss through Vinyasa Flow Yoga - A Pilot Feasibility Study in Singapore

Introduction

Over the years, obesity is seen to be an increased phenomenon across the world, where, since the millennium, obesity is said to be a national health threat and a major public health challenge, with approximately 72.5 million adults in the United States categorised as obese [1]. Further to that, obesity is not only an adult issue but also observed in children, where it has been reported that 23.8% of boys and 22.6% of girls are obese in the developed countries, while for the developing countries, the percentage of obese boys and girls are 12.9% and 13.4%, respectively [2]. For the case of Singapore, it is reported that 25.6% of Singaporean as considered to be overweight, while 6.8% of Singaporeans are obese [3, 4, 5]. Looking at the condition that is being observed currently, it is projected that almost half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030 [6]. In the same paper, it is also mentioned that 5% of all deaths in the world is caused by obesity, and the economic impact that is caused by obesity is as high as that of smoking and armed conflict, where a total amount of $2.0 trillion, $2.1 trillion and $2.1 trillion are spent in dealing with obesity, smoking and armed conflict, respectively.

As defined by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [1], one is considered as obese when his/ her body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher and overweight when the BMI is between 25 to 29.9. The condition of overweight has proven to be a cause for various diseases. The study has shown that overweight in men and women is closely linked to type 2 diabetes [7]. Also, compared to Caucasians, Asians are said to be at higher risk to develop diabetes and heart disease when the BMI reading is equal or more than 23 due to higher body fat contents (Ministry of Health M., Why is being obese a problem? 2018). Individuals with a BMI of higher than 27.5 possess higher chances to develop these diseases.

The major and independent risk factor for most of the cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is obesity, especially visceral obesity. Generally, obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction which are the main starting points of CVD and when such inflammation is not catered to, then, it leads to chronic inflammation as seen in most CVD cases. Several studies have shown that obesity impairs the endothelial function and levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) which is a potent vasoconstrictor, are higher in such cases. Further to that, ET-1 is capable of both initiating and progressing coronary atherosclerosis.

In fighting issues about overweight or obesity, [6] highlighted that “No single solution creates sufficient impact to reverse obesity: only a comprehensive, systemic program of multiple interventions is likely to be effective.” Governments, as well as private sectors, have been putting efforts to develop various intervention strategies, such as the provision of weight management guidelines, or health programmes such as National Step ChallengeTM that is carried out with support from the Ministry of Health in Singapore. Such interventions aim to assist individuals to lose weight or prevent weight gain. Mobile applications are also created to assist mobile phone users to maintain a healthy lifestyle, for instance, Healthy 365 app, ActiveSG App and NUH myMeds [3].

It has been known that regular exercise and a controlled diet contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Besides, the frequent exercises also lead to improved cardiovascular health, returns the blood pressure cholesterol to the normal level [8]. On top of that, there are also studies that show that exercises act as a non-pharmacologic treatment option for disturbed sleep [9], produces an anxiolytic effect within the body [10], and even enhance self-esteem [11].

Continuous researches have been carried out to look into the relationship between physical exercises and weight loss, and Yoga, being one of the physical exercises, comprises of meditation, pranayama (control of breathing), asanas (postures) and relaxation [12], promotes natural harmony and functional balance in the organ systems leading to a better health condition.

Some other studies reveal that the practice of Yoga not only aids in weight reduction but also reduces blood pressure, glucose level and high cholesterol [13]. However, the study also stressed that this is through the long-term examination of the individuals, and there are not enough studies to address if Yoga aids the reduction of high risk for diabetes and its related common health problems. The argument of long-term examination and practices is also supported by the paper of Kristal, et al. [14], wherein it was reported that middle-aged men and women found that the reduction of weight is more evident for those who practice Yoga for four years or more, emphasising that weight loss is a long term goal and process and not to be aimed to be achieved in only a few months. We may see the initial results in a few months, but the continuous effort is required to maintain such a loss. Although there are article claims that the weight management through yoga is based on the mechanism that the practice of yoga enhanced mindfulness and energy expenditure while reducing the body pain, but the exact mechanism underlying Yoga’s effectiveness is still yet to be examined in detail [15].

However, the participants in the above-mentioned studies were mostly women, for instance, about 75 – 79% of the respondents in the research of Ross, et al. (2013) [16] and Flegal, et al. [17] are women while it is reported that the study of Vartanian & Wharton [18], McIvera, et al. [17] and Badawy & Natiq [20] comprised of 100% women. Hence, there is insufficient information about the effect on the benefits of yoga on men.

Throughout different studies, various types of yoga are adopted as part of the study, while there are some papers that do not specify the type of yoga that is being practised (i.e., only the word Yoga is used in the paper), generally, Yoga practices adopted by various researchers include Iyengar Yoga [17, 21], Ashtanga Yoga [22] or Hatha Yoga [19].

However, it has been noted that the practice of Yoga also helps to generate mindfulness among the individuals, which in turn makes them more aware on their daily life, that is, to be more mindful eating and exercising, and eventually achieving the weight loss. Some papers agree in this statement, including [21] and [23], who also agree that we do not possess much understanding towards how mindfulness is practised in terms of eating and weight management, as there are too many complicating factors in this analysis, including various definitions of mindfulness by different individuals.

This pilot research is established to investigate the effects of Vinyasa Flow Yoga on the weight-related outcomes in adults in Singapore, especially the reduction in body weight and body fat percentage.

Conclusion

This pilot feasibility study clearly indicates the possibility of not only bodyweight loss but also a potential reduction in the body fat with regular practice of Vinyasa flow yoga. As highlighted in this paper, reduction in body weight and body fat can also decrease the occurrences of other serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. This study also reveals that bodyweight reduction is feasible not only in women who practice Vinyasa flow yoga but also in men as the majority of the study participants were males. This study can be further extended to the actual projected sample size in order to further validate the results obtained in the pilot study.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the UON Singapore Pte. Ltd. for funding this project through the UON Singapore’s Small Research Project Grant.