School-based yoga intervention for internet resilience and holistic well-being of adolescents

In today’s educational milieu, rising mental and physical health issues among adolescents pose an imperative concern for schools. While yoga has shown growing therapeutic benefits, research addressing emerging concerns—such as internet addiction, and associated cognitive and sleep disorders—remains underexplored, especially in the post-COVID-19 era and within school curricula. This pilot, randomized-controlled trial with high school students aimed to validate a concise, 25-minute yogic intervention tailored for adolescent well-being in academic settings. Quantitative assessment tools included the Academic Anxiety Scale for Children, Concentration Questionnaire, Internet Addiction Test, Insomnia Severity Index, and General Health Questionnaire. Over a three-month period, students who practiced yoga reported marked improvements in internet resilience, academic anxiety, concentration, and insomnia symptoms (all p < 0.0001). Additionally, they showed significant reductions in general health complaints (e.g., headaches, stomach aches), with p-values ranging from p < 0.05 to p < 0.001. Conversely, the control group showed no significant changes, except for a worsening of internet addiction. These findings suggest that even brief, consistent yoga practice can yield substantial benefits, advocating for its integration into school curricula to promote a healthier, more resilient generation of learners. • Psychological, behavioral, and cognitive challenges faced by students are interconnected, worsening adolescents' well-being. • The study developed and validated a brief, structured 25-minute yoga intervention tailored for adolescents in school settings. • Students practicing yoga experienced remarkable improvements in internet resilience and concentration over three months. • Yoga participants reported a significant decrease in academic anxiety and insomnia symptoms. • The yoga intervention notably reduced general health complaints, highlighting its holistic benefits for adolescents.