Effectiveness Of A 16-week Livestream Therapeutic Yoga Intervention In Physical Performance In Survivors Of Cancer

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of a holistic approach in enhancing physical function for 30 cancer survivors in the South Texas Region. METHODS: Thirty cancer survivors (female: 86%) performed a battery of physical function tests including a six-minute walk test (6MWT) to assess cardiorespiratory function, isometric shoulder and elbow flexor strength, dominant arm grip strength, dominant arm shoulder range of motion via inclinometer, sit & reach to assess trunk and lower extremity flexibility, and a 30-second sit-to-stand test to assess lower extremity endurance. Participants were reassessed 16 weeks after starting the intervention. The intervention included a three-times-a-week 75-minute livestream therapeutic yoga program including meditation coupled with daily psycho-social support text messaging through a telemedicine platform to increase efficacy in promoting health-enhancing behaviors. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess changes in physical performance between sessions. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were observed for the 6MWT (+35.68 m; p = .02), elbow flexor strength (+7.44 kg; p < .001), dominant hand grip strength (+3.19 kg; p < .01), sit & reach (+5.25 cm; p = .01), dominant arm shoulder flexion range of motion (11.18°; p = .01), and shoulder abduction (+17.06°; p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: A 16-week livestream therapeutic yoga intervention performed three times a week coupled with daily psycho-social support messaging improves cardiorespiratory endurance by increasing the distance walked in six minutes, improves upper extremity strength and ROM, and increases the flexibility of back and hamstring muscles. Financial assistance provided by the Mays Cancer Center at the University of Texas Health - San Antonio through the Cancer Center P30 Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute P30CA054174. Assistance for REDCap provided via CTSA NIH Grant UL1-RR024982.