Barriers for regular yoga practice among adult population of India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of physical inactivity is growing at an alarming rate and is strongly associated with metabolic disorders. While the health consequences of physical inactivity are well-documented, identifying the factors which lead to physical inactivity in individuals is an important step. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the most common barriers in regular yoga practice. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 644 adult participants from Pune district, Maharashtra, India, during the International Day of Yoga celebration. The survey questionnaire was written in both English and Marathi. The questionnaire was divided into two parts, i.e., sociodemographic details and the most common reason for not being able to practice yoga regularly. Results: The results showed that physical illness was more common in females (n = 35, 29.7%) than males (n = 25, 6.1%). Not finding correct yoga teacher and lack of clarity regarding yoga was also found to be the most common barriers in females as compared to males. A greater proportion of females (n = 62, 52.5%) were unable to do yoga regularly due to other priorities. Other common factors which limited most of the participants from practicing yoga regularly were varying eating times, lack of motivation, and doubt regarding yoga benefits. The percentage of other barriers for practicing yoga regularly was negligible. Conclusions: The results of this study concluded that there are eight most common barriers for practicing yoga regularly among the study participants.