Effects of a 12-Week Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation Program on Psychological Stress, Inflammatory Markers, and Sleep Quality in Middle-Aged Obese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Manjula Rathinam, Eswari Varadharajan, Robert Çitozi, Jagadeeswari Suresh, M. Pramanik, Ibnu Noufal Kambitta Valappil, Karuppasamy Govindasamy, Farjana Akter Boby, Vlad Adrian Geantă
Sport Mont October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.26773/smj.251010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Obese women (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), aged 40–55 |
| Intervention | breathing exercises |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Measures | PSS-10, BDI-II, PSQI, ESR, hs-CRP |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A 12-week yoga and mindfulness meditation program reduced perceived stress, depression symptoms, and sleep disturbances and lowered ESR and hs-CRP in obese middle-aged women compared with controls. The authors argue these findings support incorporating mind-body interventions into obesity management. |
Abstract
Obesity in middle-aged women is commonly linked with chronic inflammation, psychological stress, and poor sleep quality. Holistic, non-pharmacological approaches such as yoga and mindfulness may offer multidimen- sional benefits. This randomized controlled trial investigated the impact of a 12-week yoga and mindfulness meditation program on psychological stress, inflammatory markers, and sleep quality in obese women. Sixty participants (BMI≥30 kg/m²; age 40–55) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=30) or a con- trol group (n=30). The intervention group underwent thrice-weekly sessions (60 minutes each) combining yoga postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation. The control group maintained usual routines. Outcomes assessed at baseline and post-intervention included perceived stress (PSS-10), depression symp- toms (BDI-II), sleep quality (PSQI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). After 12 weeks, the intervention group showed significant reductions in perceived stress (−38.7%, p<0.001), depression symptoms (−42.3%, p<0.001), and sleep disturbances (−36.9%, p=0.002) compared to controls. Inflammatory markers also improved significantly: ESR decreased by 26.7% (p=0.007) and hs-CRP by 31.5% (p=0.003). No significant changes were observed in the control group. A structured yoga and mindful- ness meditation program significantly improved psychological and physiological outcomes in middle-aged obese women. These findings support incorporating mind-body interventions in obesity management to ad- dress both mental and physical health.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |