A woman is sitting at her desk and holding her back. She holds her left side and touches her right shoulder blade.

Study on the effect of yoga on productivity in the workplace

N Hartfiel et al.

December 2012

Back pain

Back treatment

Ned Hartfiel and some colleagues tried to prove in a randomized study that yoga has a positive effect on stress perception and back pain at work. Both are important factors that lead to absenteeism at work.

The sample consisted of employees of a British government agency and was divided into a control group without treatment and a yoga group that received a 50-minute Dru Yoga session per week and a 20-minute yoga exercise on DVD to do at home for eight weeks.

At the beginning and after the end of the study, the stress perception, back pain and psychological well-being were determined using the stress scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and PANAS.

The 37 participants in the yoga group showed significant improvement in all three areas compared to the control group. These results allow the conclusion that yoga can increase productivity in the workplace and reduce sickness-related absences.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Back pain, stress
Institution: Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
Title: Study on the effect of yoga on productivity in the workplace
Brief description: Study shows that yoga reduces stress and back pain in the workplace and increases productivity.
Original title: Yoga for reducing perceived stress and back pain at work
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23012344/