Effect of a Six-Week Yoga Training Programme on Stress and Anxiety among School Students: A Pre–Post Experimental Study

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which students frequently experience elevated levels of stress and anxiety due to academic pressure, social expectations and lifestyle changes. Persistent psychological stress adversely affects emotional well-being, learning ability and academic performance. Yoga has emerged as a holistic, non-pharmacological intervention for improving mental health among adolescents. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a six-week structured yoga training programme on stress and anxiety among school students. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was adopted. Thirty school students (12–16 years) from Government Senior Secondary School, Jhanduke, Punjab, India, were selected using purposive sampling. Participants completed a six-week yoga programme comprising asanas, pranayama, meditation and relaxation for 45 minutes per session, five days per week. Stress was assessed using the Student Stress Questionnaire and anxiety was measured using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests at the 0.05 significance level. Results: The mean stress score significantly decreased from 31.47 ± 3.82 to 25.10 ± 4.11 (t = 7.86, p < 0.05). Likewise, the mean anxiety score significantly declined from 13.97 ± 1.95 to 10.53 ± 2.16 (t = 6.42, p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the six-week yoga intervention effectively reduced psychological stress and anxiety among school students. Conclusion: A structured six-week yoga programme significantly improved the psychological well-being of school students by reducing stress and anxiety. Incorporating yoga into school health and physical education programmes may provide an effective, low-cost strategy for promoting adolescent mental health.