The Effects of Hatha Yoga on Anthropometric and Psychological Indices among Retired Women: a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Aging is accompanied by various physiological and psychological changes that necessitate focused attention on both physical and mental health. Hatha yoga, a safe and nonpharmacological intervention, has shown promise in promoting overall well‐being in older adults. AIM: This study aimed to assess the effects of Hatha yoga on anthropometric and psychological parameters in retired women attending the Retirement Center of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: In this two‐arm randomized controlled trial, 64 retired women over the age of 60 years were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group using a 1:1 parallel design. The intervention group attended Hatha yoga sessions once a week for 8 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Anthropometric measurements (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, and waist‐to‐hip ratio [WHR]) and psychological assessments (depression, anxiety, and stress) were recorded at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months postintervention. RESULTS: All 64 participants completed the study. Repeated‐measures ANOVA (SPSS v16.0) revealed significant reductions in stress (P < 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), WC (P < 0.001), and WHR (P < 0.001) in the intervention group across the three time points. No significant changes were observed in depression (P = 0.537), and although there was a within‐group reduction in BMI, the between‐group difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: An 8‐week Hatha yoga program effectively reduces stress, anxiety, WC, and WHR in healthy retired women, supporting its role as a beneficial intervention for promoting health in the elderly.