Effect of Online Yoga on Child Health During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Account from Parents

Abstract

Background and Objectives:

An individual develops socioemotional and cognitive abilities during childhood and adolescence. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the physical, psychological, social, and cultural health of children. Yoga has been observed to be helpful for children in enhancing their physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current article aims to understand the effect of yoga on children’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

The study used a qualitative method and an exploratory design. The data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semistructured interview guide.

Results:

Ten themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The major themes included the physical, psychological, and social benefits of yoga on children’s health; physical, environmental, and cognitive barriers; and facilitators to practicing yoga.

Conclusion:

The parents felt that yoga was beneficial for children in various dimensions. Schools and academic organizations could develop online yoga programs tailored for children and also integrate them into the curriculum, allowing children to practice regularly.

Introduction

COVID-19 pandemic and closure of the schools led to disturbances in children’s daily routines, reduced physical activity, excessive screen time, sleep disturbances, and changes in dietary patterns.¹

Research has shown a significant rise in interest in yoga among the global community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature has analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children from the parent’s perspective. The results indicated drastic changes in children’s lifestyles such as sleep–wake schedules, dietary patterns, and extracurricular activities. The shift to online academic activities also increased difficulties such as attention deficits, increased stress, and boredom among children.^2,3 There are various methods to address these problems in children and yoga is one of them. Research studies indicate that yoga promotes health and has the potential to treat different types of stress; therefore, it can be incorporated into education.^4,5 Children who practiced yoga regularly displayed better self-esteem, self-awareness, coordination, flexibility, and overall performance in all life.⁶

Thus online yoga sessions could improve children’s mental well-being, enhance physical strength, foster social interaction during isolation, and ensure accessibility. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on both the physical and mental health of children. In response to this, yoga presents itself as a promising intervention, offering a holistic approach to manage stress, enhance immune function, and support overall well-being during and beyond the pandemic.

Parents’ perspectives are crucial for understanding the impact of yoga on children because they offer direct, firsthand insight into how children are responding to the practice. They observe both the short- and long-term effects of yoga on their children’s behavior, emotions, health, and social interactions. Additionally, parents can provide valuable feedback on the yoga programs their children participate in, offering suggestions for improvements and helping to refine the approach.

In this context, a qualitative study was conducted with parents whose children attended the online yoga sessions by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) Integrated Center for Yoga (NICY) during the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand the changes they observed in their children’s health and well-being. In this context, a qualitative study was conducted with parents whose children attended the online yoga sessions organized by the NICY during the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand the changes they observed in their children’s health and well-being. The study objectives include understanding parents’ perspectives on the positive changes observed in children after practicing yoga, as well as the challenges reported by children during their yoga practice.

Methods

The study was a nonfunded predoctoral research project. It was reviewed and approved by the Institute Ethics Committee (Behavioral Science Section, NIMHANS). The study was registered as a clinical trial under the Central Trials Registry—India (CTRI-REF/2022/06/055027(DE)). Written informed consent was obtained from the parents of children who had attended an online yoga program conducted by the NICY from August 2020 to November 2021 (1 h per day). The study was conducted 1 year after the completion of the online yoga sessions, using an exploratory research design.

The researcher used a purposive sampling method to recruit participants for the study. Tele-interviews and in-person interviews were conducted according to the convenience of the participants. The interviews were carried out with parents of children who had attended online yoga sessions, based on an interview schedule covering three domains: the effects of yoga, challenges to practicing yoga, and recommendations from parents. Seven parents consented to participate in the interviews, and the majority of data saturation was attained based on the information collected from them. The sample size was limited to seven participants.

The interview schedule was finalized with input from five experts. The collected data were reviewed independently by the second author to minimize bias in data collection and to help code the data into themes and subthemes. Any discrepancies between the two authors in coding the themes were addressed through a consensus discussion between the first and second authors.

The sociodemographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis.^7,8

Results

The total number of children who attended the online yoga sessions was 91. The average age of the children who attended the sessions was 7.53 years. Seven parents consented to and participated in the qualitative interview. The mean age of the parents was 39 years, with three males and four females.

The qualitative data were categorized into four primary categories, which revealed 10 themes and 22 subthemes in the following areas: effects of yoga practice, challenges or barriers to practicing yoga, facilitators to practicing yoga, and parents’ recommendations for improving the yoga program (Table 1).

Table 1.

Themes and Subthemes Generated from Qualitative Interview with Parents

Categories	Themes	Subthemes	Quotes
1. Parent’s perspective of positive change	Physical benefits	Sleep Increased energy levels Flexibility Physical activity	“There was an improvement in sleep patterns. earlier he was late for sleep; but after yoga, he started to sleep early.” Ms. K, 40Y “Because before the pandemic she has a regular sleep pattern. But at the time of pandemic it slightly varied. Probably yoga might have improved her sleep pattern by 10%” (Mr. H, 42Y) “energy level increased. definitely. Whatever she does after that (yoga) she was very motivated or more energetic to take it up. That’s all.” (Ms. P, 35Y) “…When she was doing it (yoga) regularly, she was more active…” (Mr. H, 42Y) “during pandemic time, it was helping her, she was regularly doing it. probably some flexibility in her body, only change I can say” (Mr. H, 42Y) “Since there were no outdoor activities, it used to keep her fresh… there were some games, and she used to enjoy the sessions.” Mr. H, 42Y “…he used to play a lot. He was not tired. May be COVID time they are sitting at home. It was not happening. But after yoga everything came back to normal…” (Ms. S, 40Y)
	Psychological benefits	Relaxation Self-regulation Emotional well-being Improved concentration	“….it was positive change only. Because, in that 1 h she used to do some exercises. It (yoga) used to keep her fresh and there were some games, and she used to enjoy the sessions...it’s positive change….” (Mr. H, 42Y) “…Because she was mainly confined to mobile and TV, and it was something like get her rid off mobile and tv and did some physical exercises and that’s the main thing. Since there were no outdoor activities, this keep her remain fresh….” (Mr. S, 40Y) “One thing I saw in him was an improvement in punctuality. after joining yoga, he was very punctual.” Ms. S, 40Y “…she is good disciplined, they were regular and she was very keen to start her sessions. On the time, she likes her class very much...” (Ms. S, 39Y) “…And he enjoyed that yoga classes. Sir used to call them by name. so, he was like very excited, sir called me today…” (Ms. S, 40Y) “…When the yoga classes going on he used to be very happy….” (Ms. K, 40Y) “I can say that concentration has increased.” (Ms. S, 40Y) “…concentration, during pandemic time, to be frank, since she was more using mobile, her concentration was like a bit disturbed. And after yoga I could see difference in that…” (Mr. H, 42Y)
	Social benefits	Socialization	“they gained confidence, like I can do this practice, about themselves, and they are in social circle, So that motivates her, confidence and self-esteem.” Ms. P, 35Y “…So one does it in a group, online also it has a motivating effect. Definitely. If they gets to interact much more better. They need that socialisation. Because that part was very much compromised during that time...” (Ms. P, 35Y)
2. Barriers reported by parents	Physical barriers	Balance	“Once he was saying there is a problem in balance.” Ms. K, 40Y
	Cognitive barrier	Difficulty in following instructions Lack of interest	“That time may be because she was young and had difficulty in understanding right or left; because of which, she used to take time to follow and understand.” Ms. P, 35Y “… may be yes I am not seen that they are doing the poses correctly. And because in the screen na… so many children are doing, so teachers also can’t identify who is not doing the pose correctly. That’s also not possible.so many children were there…” (Ms. M, 36Y) “…now she is in gymnastic. That’s why she is not doing yoga….” (Ms. S, 39Y) “…the school only discontinued no? and she losing interest. it was not mandatory by the school we also took it lightly…” (Ms. M, 36Y)
	Environmental barriers	Time constraints Lack of supervision Online mode of yoga	“Timings may be. Because she is busy now. The main challenge is if you are following a group your timeline is matched to the group’s timeline.” Ms. P, 35Y “…right now the only thing is time …no he goes school and comes back late in the evening …and there are no other programs also no…” (Ms. K, 40Y) “She wants to practice in a group. Some supervision required” Mr. S, 41Y “…she wants to do physically. She wants to meet teacher once at least. She was little bit asking. Comfortless….” (Ms. P, 35Y) “Because for the small period of time the yoga was done. Moreover in the video. Children wont get the positions correct also. Some times they were doing. Some times they were not doing…” (Ms. M, 36Y)
3. Facilitators to practice yoga	Regularity	Frequency and duration Nature & components	“She was regular for whatever sessions she had taken. Almost regular.” Mr. S, 41Y “…Tv time. Laptop was not given, mobile may be half an hour 1 h like… and I cant really say that because one time of (yoga) really cant do that type of magic….” (Ms. P, 35Y) “Some of the poses like the propose, the mountain pose, or some of the simple poses he used to do. or the snake pose.”, Ms. K, 40Y
	Motivation	Motivation	“he is very much motivated. Because he never wanted to miss a class. he was punctual. He used to log in 5 min before the program. We didn’t have to pressurize him for that even a single day. He was on his own.” Ms K, 40Y “he was very happy. He used to wait. From morning ask when my yoga class starts. After some time I think he was very much interested to doing this.” (Ms. S, 40Y)
	Parental support	Emotional support Instrumental support Informational support	“I used to motivate her and if she misses her regular sessions” Ms. P, 35Y “first day we monitored him and we saw that he was very much doing that…” (Ms. K, 40Y) “we used to arrange him with laptop and tab and yoga mat and he was completely on his own,” Mr. P, 40Y “whatever the requirements she asked we arranged” (Mr. S, 41Y) “I put on YouTube saying that this is the live class going on in case she was not able to follow their timeline,” Ms. P, 35Y. “we make her show some yoga exercises on mobile or you tube” (Mr. H, 42Y)
4. Recommendations from parents to improve the yoga program.	Recommendations	Mode of yoga	“Now we prefer something offline. He has anyway done the online. It’s better to do it offline only.” Ms. K, 40Y “If he is doing it at home the instructor can talk it over the mike, if they are doing it in person it would help. During COVID time it was not possible to do it offline. It was very helpful.” Mr. P, 40Y

The interview schedule included four primary categories based on the study’s objectives. Themes were derived from the data collected from the parents and categorized according to these objectives.

Discussion

From the results, it can be inferred that the parents found yoga to be an effective approach for addressing the physical, psychological, and social aspects of their child’s health. A conceptual framework was developed from the findings to understand the interplay between the facilitators, barriers, and outcomes of the teleyoga intervention for children (Fig. 1).

FIG. 1.

A conceptual framework including the factors influencing yoga intervention and its key outcomes for children. The framework highlights key facilitators, barriers, and the resulting outcomes of yoga practice. Facilitators include regularity, motivation, and parental support, which enhance the yoga practice. Barriers are categorized into physical, cognitive, and environmental challenges that children may face while practicing yoga. The outcomes of yoga are shown to provide a range of benefits, including improvements in physical, psychological, and social development.

Yoga has a positive impact on children’s physical and mental well-being, immunity levels, and academic performance.² The results of the current study support the benefits of yoga interventions for children in promoting physical, psychological, and social health. The physical benefits found in the present study are consistent with the findings of previous studies.⁴ Literature has revealed that yoga can reduce anxiety and stress, thereby enhancing children’s coping skills.^9,10 Earlier research has shown that yoga is an effective intervention to enhance mindfulness, self-regulation, and immunity during the pandemic.¹¹ Yoga was an effective intervention to enhance mindfulness, self-regulation, and immunity during the pandemic.¹² Yoga contributes to the holistic development of children.

This study is the first to explore parents’ perspectives on yoga practice for children, focusing on the challenges and barriers they face, as well as facilitators and recommendations for improvement. Parents identified several barriers, including difficulties with balance, challenges in following instructions, lack of interest, and the online format of yoga classes. Many parents recommended that in-person yoga sessions would be more effective. Other key facilitators highlighted by parents included motivation and support from family members.

The study has several implications, suggesting that a future hybrid model could be both useful and feasible, especially considering the challenges parents face in accessing a tertiary yoga center. The Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, has issued teleyoga guidelines, including teleyoga assessments, emphasizing the importance of teleyoga in the current era. Schools and academic organizations can develop online yoga programs specifically tailored for children and integrate them into the curriculum, enabling regular practice. Additionally, providing training for teachers and instructors, along with resources and guidelines for parents, would support the promotion of yoga for children.

Since the children’s age range was 5–13 years, this study was conducted solely from the perspectives of parents. The feasibility of the program may be further tested by addressing barriers such as the duration, frequency, and mode of the yoga sessions.

One of the limitations of this study is that the sample was drawn from a single yoga program. However, as there are limited number of studies on teleyoga, particularly concerning children, this study presents valuable insights and would contribute meaningfully to the existing literature.

Conclusion

The parents whose children attended online yoga sessions felt that yoga was beneficial for improving the physical, psychological, and social well-being of their children during the COVID pandemic. This study has broader implications for incorporating yoga into health promotion as part of school mental health programs.

Footnotes

Authors’ Contributions

Conceptualization: J.C., A.J., H.B., and B.N.G. Data curation: J.C., A.J., H.B., and B.N.G. Formal analysis: J.C. and A.J. Investigation: J.C., A.J., and N.J. Methodology: J.C., A.J., H.B., and B.N.G. Project administration: J.C. and A.J. Resources: J.C. and A.J. Software: J.C. and A.J. Supervision: J.C. and A.J. Validation: J.C., A.J., N.J., and B.N.G. Visualization: J.C. and A.J. Writing—original draft: J.C. and A.J. Writing—review and editing: J.C., A.J., H.B., N.J., and B.N.G. Guarantor: A.J.

Disclaimer

This article has been read and approved by both authors J.C and A.J. All requirements for authorship have been met and both authors consider this study to be reliable.

Author Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Funding Information

This is a nonfunded research.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary Data

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Supplementary Material

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