Comparison Of Cognitive Abilities Of Yoga And Non-Yoga Secondary And Senior Secondary School Students

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of three distinct physical activity interventions on cognitive abilities. A post-test research design was employed to compare the cognitive performance of 94 participants divided into three groups: Hatha Yoga (n=30), Walking (n=32), and Control (n=32) in the age range of 14 to 18 years, 67 males and 27 females. All the three groups participated in their respective interventions for 35 minutes per day, 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Measurement tool: A standardized cognitive assessment test (CAT) was administered to all the participants post-intervention. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were utilized to analyze differences in cognitive abilities (awareness, memory, understanding, reasoning ability, problem-solving ability, and total overall score) among the groups. Levene's test was conducted to assess the homogeneity of variances. Conclusion: Hatha Yoga participants outperformed the Control group (p < 0.01) in terms of memory and overall cognitive ability. However, there were no notable differences in awareness, understanding, or problem-solving skills among the three groups. Statistical analysis revealed significant group differences in memory and total score, but the effects were moderate in size. The other cognitive factors showed minimal or no differences between the groups. The findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the potential benefits of physical activity interventions on cognitive function and provide valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals.