YOGA EXERCISES FOR WORKING MEMORY IN OBESE WOMEN

Research reviews indicate that working memory has a "short-term store" in human brain and is forgettable if the work is not continuously repeated within a gap of certain period. Various ways and means are available so far to improve one's memory power, but no research-based information is available till-date for improving the span of working memory. In fact, working memory is a mind-body complex and there is a need to improve homeostasis of such complexity. Nowadays, ample of researches indicate that yoga helps to improve the homeostasis between the human body, mind and spirit, which may in turn improve working memory. This study was, therefore, undertaken to find out the impact of the training of yogic exercises on working memory in obese people. Sixty obese female (n=60), age: 40-50 yrs., from different nearby housing societies in Pune (India), were randomly divided into two groups viz., 30 experimental and 30 control. The obese subjects were selected on the basis of their BMI (Body Mass Index). The level of working memory was assessed by employing self-made (standardize) questionnaire during pre-test, post-test and follow up test. Yoga exercise training was imparted to the experimental group for a period of 6 months, whereas the controlled subjects did not participate in the said program. The result of t-test revealed that the yoga exercises, training for three months was significantly effective in improving the level of working memory (t=3.72, p<0.05) and during follow-up trend of such improvement was gradually declined (t=3.69, p<0.05) whereas the controlled group could not. This result, in turn, suggests that yoga exercise program has a long term effect in maintaining the span of working memory among the female obese.