Effects of Vinyasa Yoga and High Intensity Interval Training on Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and COVID-related Stress

Many individuals have persistent mental health issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased depression, anxiety and stress, in particular COVID-related stress. Exercise (e.g., yoga), in combination with controlled breathing, has shown promising results for deceasing levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. The present study aims to expand on past research and assess whether different forms of exercise will have an influence on levels of anxiety, depression, and COVID-related stress. Participants must not be currently active (i.e., not participating in more than 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week) or practicing yoga of any kind. The participants will then be randomly assigned to one of three exercise conditions: (1) Vinyasa yoga, (2) high intensity interval training (HIIT), or (3) stretching. Each condition will consist of 30-minute sessions, three times per week, for eight weeks. I hypothesize that both Vinyasa yoga and HIIT will positively impact symptoms of anxiety, depression, and COVID-related stress, when compared to the stretching control. However, I also hypothesize that Vinyasa yoga will have the strongest impact on anxiety, depression, and COVID-related stress symptoms since it combines both flow movement exercise and controlled breathing. Given the nature of the psychological impact of pandemics on mental health, assessing the relationship between anxiety, depression, and COVID-related stress symptoms and Vinyasa yoga and HIIT may provide support for these exercises as efficient interventions.