Effects of core strength training and yogasana practices on muscular fitness of school students

Abstract

The aim of this study to examined how a 12-week core strength training program and a yogasana intervention affected muscular strength and endurance in school-aged adolescents. 195 students whose age 15-19 years were randomly assigned to a Core Strength Training Group (CRG), a Yogasana Practices Group (YG), or a Control Group (CG). From there 65 subjects were randomly select for per group. Muscular strength and endurance for upper- and lower-body were measured before and after the intervention using push-ups, static wall squat, sit-ups, and plank. One-way ANCOVA showed significant group differences in all fitness measures (p<0 .001). Post-hoc tests revealed that CRG attained the greatest gains overall, with YG also significantly outperforming CG. For example, CRG performed on average 7.90 more push-ups than CG (p<.001) and 3.13 more than YG (p<.001). Similarly, CRG increased sit-up endurance by 12.29 reps more than CG (p<.001) and 6.20 more than YG (p<.001). These results indicate that both interventions significantly improve adolescents’ muscular fitness, with core training yielding the largest effects.