Online Chair Yoga Project: Helping Peoples with Dementia with Stress, Pain and Flexibility
Can an online chair yoga program help people with dementia to reduce stress, relieve pain, and improve flexibility?
This project invites people with dementia and their family members to join online yoga classes through Zoom. We investigated the feasibility of online yoga programs for people living with dementia at home; the research investigated the benefits, challenges, and lessons learned to see whether this would increase accessibility for yoga or related exercise programs.
This study aimed to examine whether people with dementia and family member living at home can benefit from participating in an online chair yoga (CY) intervention to manage chronic pain, physical function, sleep, and emotional well-being. People with dementia and their family member participated in a group yoga sessions by Zoom twice a week (60 minutes each session) for 8 weeks. Our early findings show feasibility and acceptability of using the virtual platform to deliver yoga intervention. Participants report improved sleep, relaxation, and functions with routine practice.