Project start: 28/05/2024

Project end: 23/07/2024

A research team from the AWRC have carried out a study to investigate if yoga has an effect on heart rate variability and symptoms in people with Long COVID.

Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to the variation in time intervals between heartbeats, and is a key indicator of autonomic nervous system balance. Many people with Long COVID experience dysautonomia, which is due to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, contributing to symptoms like fatigue, and cardiovascular issues. Higher HRV is usually associated with a healthier nervous system. Stimulating the vagus nerve through yoga breathing and relaxation has been shown to enhance vagal tone, potentially helping to counteract autonomic dysfunction in Long COVID. Increased vagal tone correlates with higher HRV, therefore monitoring HRV is a non-invasive method to measure the impact of the intervention.

The study was carried out in partnership with Darnall Wellbeing who run a monthly Long COVID support group. Members of the support group attended a weekly yoga class for six weeks. The classes were floor and chair based and focused on breathing techniques and very gentle stretching. Participants wore a device to detect their heart rate variability during the class and for the next 24 hours. They also answered questionnaires about their symptoms before and at the end of the study and filled in daily symptom diaries to monitor the effect of the classes on their symptoms.

The feedback from the participants was very positive, they enjoyed the sessions and said they were gentle enough to avoid any symptom exacerbation as a result of taking part.

The researcher team are currently analysing the data from the study and are planning to apply for funding for a larger study to develop the work.