The Impact of Yoga and Mindfulness Training on Reducing Ground-Based Separation Anxiety during High Apparatus Skills in Gymnastics
Zahraa Hazim Yuneus, Liqa' Abdulzahra Obaid, Hind Waleed Kalf, Hind Salem Tayeh
Modern Sport July 18, 2026 DOI: 10.54702/2708-3454.2146 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pre-post study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Junior gymnasts from Hilla Gymnastics Club (20 in the main experiment, 5 for exploratory purposes) |
| Interventions | Yoga Mindfulness exercises |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Separation anxiety scores dropped from a pretest mean of 54.30 to 41.85 at posttest, a 22.9% decrease (t-value 8.96), and landing accuracy error fell from 5.24 cm to 2.95 cm. The authors conclude that yoga and mindfulness exercises reduced separation anxiety and improved flight accuracy, balance, and landing quality in junior gymnasts. |
Abstract
Modern sports increasingly recognize psychological factors alongside physical performance. In gymnastics, emotional stability is critical, particularly for high-flying skills that involve significant heights, aerial spins, and precise landings. These demands make gymnasts vulnerable to fear, separation anxiety, and loss of control during flight, leading to hesitation, reduced confidence, and technical errors. The study aims to develop a training program integrating yoga and mindfulness to reduce ground-separation anxiety and improve high-altitude skill performance. The research hypothesizes statistically significant differences between pre- and post-tests in both anxiety levels and skill performance, favoring the post-test. An experimental methodology was adopted, with a purposive sample of 25 junior gymnasts from Hilla Gymnastics Club — 20 for the main experiment and 5 for exploratory purposes. The findings demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in separation anxiety scores, dropping from a baseline mean of 54.30 at pretest to 41.85 at posttest, with a t-value of 8.96, which corresponds to a 22.9% decrease. Concurrently, performance accuracy was markedly enhanced, falling from 5.24 cm to 2.95 cm. The study concluded that yoga and mindfulness exercises effectively reduced separation anxiety among junior gymnasts, improved flight accuracy and balance, and enhanced landing quality. The research recommends incorporating yoga and mindfulness into daily training, regularly monitoring players' psychological well-being, training coaches in relaxation and mental focus techniques, and creating a safe training environment that builds performance confidence, and this achieves one of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations in Iraq which is (Quality Education).
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.