Perceived Impact Of Yoga On Body Image Is Positive

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How yoga could help people see themselves in a better light is being investigated by researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

In their latest study, the researchers, led by professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, interviewed 46 young adults who practiced yoga at least 30 minutes a week, on average, over the past year. The adults were selected from her long-running Project EAT, a multi-decade study tracking the health and wellbeing of thousands of participants beginning in adolescence.

Body dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among young adults and often leads to severe adverse health consequences, including disordered eating, weight gain over time and poor psychological health.

Positive Impact

The study found that:

  • 83 percent of participants expressed that yoga has a positive impact on their body image
  • 28 percent found that the influence of yoga can also be negative
  • All but one of the respondents who indicated that yoga can have a negative impact on their body image also discussed its positive impact

People who felt that yoga harmed their self-image mainly said it was due to comparing themselves to the physical appearance or performance of others in class.

“The results of this study give great insight into the small tweaks instructors and studios can employ to improve the positive impact of yoga on people with poor body image,”

said Neumark-Sztainer.

To help support an improved body image, Neumark-Sztainer recommends that instructors and studios:

  • Adjust language: encourage participants to be grateful for their bodies and what they can do
  • Make explicit efforts to invite people of all ethnicities, genders, ages, body shapes and sizes to their yoga classes
  • If mirrors are present in the studios, make sure people use them constructively — such as to check body alignment — and offer strategies to avoid negative thoughts about how they look

Neumark-Sztainer is continuing her research into the benefits of yoga and seeking funding to explore its effects on mental health and stress reduction, as well as conducting a randomized trial to see if and how yoga can be used as an intervention to improve body satisfaction.

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Allison W. Watts, Sarah Rydell
Yoga and body image: How do young adults practicing yoga describe its impact on their body image?
Body Image; Volume 27, December 2018, Pages 156-168

Last Updated on October 31, 2022