Efficacy of Integrated Yoga in enhancement of cognition, mental health, physical fitness, shooting scores among Indian archers: A randomized controlled trial

Archery is a precision sport that demands various skills such as enhanced selective and sustained attention, emotional control, stability, extreme precision, upper body strength and endurance. Evidence shows that Yoga has positive effects on cognitive functions such as attention, concentration and processing speed, and Integrated approach of yoga therapy reduces anxiety and stress. Yoga also improves motor coordination, balance, stability, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. Previous studies of Yoga in archery performance are limited to assessing only sports anxiety or steadiness or archery performance; and only meditation or asanas or Yoga Nidra as intervention. In addition, no validated Yoga module is available for archery. In this study we will validate and test the feasibility of a yoga module consisting of loosening practices, yoga postures, breathing techniques, kriyas, relaxation and meditation, and assess the impact of the yoga module on attention networks, inhibitory control, mental health, physical fitness, and shooting score on archers using a randomized control trial design.