In 2011, a pilot study reveals promising results for individuals with schizophrenia, demonstrating significant reductions in state anxiety and psychological stress, along with enhanced subjective well-being, following sessions of yoga and aerobic exercise.

The study, conducted by a team led by Davy Vancampfort and colleagues, aimed to explore effective coping strategies for stress and anxiety, which are known to exacerbate symptoms of schizophrenia. The researchers implemented a randomized comparative trial involving 40 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Participants engaged in three different conditions in random order: a 30-minute yoga session, 20 minutes of self-selected intensity aerobic exercise on a bicycle ergometer, and a 20-minute no-exercise control condition. The outcomes were striking. Both yoga and aerobic exercise significantly reduced state anxiety and psychological stress while increasing subjective well-being, compared to the control condition. Statistical analysis confirmed the results with p-values less than 0.0001 for all measures, indicating highly significant differences.

Effect sizes, a measure of the magnitude of change, ranged impressively from 0.82 for the reduction of psychological stress following aerobic exercise to 1.01 for the decrease in state anxiety after yoga. These findings suggest substantial benefits from both types of physical activity.

Importantly, the study found no significant difference in the effectiveness between yoga and aerobic exercise, suggesting that individuals with schizophrenia can choose either based on personal preference. This flexibility could enhance adherence and long-term benefits.

The researchers concluded that integrating yoga or aerobic exercise into therapeutic regimes could be a valuable strategy for managing acute stress and anxiety in schizophrenia, providing patients and healthcare professionals with effective, adaptable options.

These preliminary results pave the way for more extensive research to confirm and expand upon the findings, potentially offering a wider array of non-pharmacological interventions to improve mental health outcomes for people with schizophrenia.

Reference: Vancampfort, D., De Hert, M., Knapen, J., Wampers, M., Demunter, H., Deckx, S., & Probst, M. (2011). State anxiety, psychological stress and positive well-being responses to yoga and aerobic exercise in people with schizophrenia: a pilot study. Disability and rehabilitation, 33(8), 684-689.