Yoga can help reduce work-related stress: study
Las Vegas — Yoga and other physical relaxation methods can help lower work-related stress levels, according to a recent research review.
During a meta-analysis, researchers examined 15 randomized clinical trials that involved nearly 700 health care workers. The trials evaluated the effects of massage therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, stretching and yoga on reducing stress and enhancing physical and mental health.
The researchers found that yoga was the most effective of the methods compared with no intervention, followed by massage therapy.
“Work-related stress has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and other serious causes of morbidity,” lead study author Michael Zhang, an internal medicine specialist at the Southern Nevada Health District, said in a press release. “Our results suggest that physical relaxation methods are helpful in reducing occupational stress. Yoga is particularly effective and can be delivered virtually, making it convenient for employers to offer distance options to promote worker health.”
The study was published online July 7 in the Journal of Occupational Health.
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