Survey study, 2026
Can a yoga program designed for different cycle phases reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes. In an 8-week study, 15 women with PMS who did cycle-specific yoga five times per week showed significant decreases in PMS symptoms and improved quality of life, with no adverse effects.
What they did
Researchers developed a yoga program with different poses for each of the four menstrual cycle phases. They tested it with 15 university students who had PMS, who practiced the cycle-specific yoga five times per week for 8 weeks. They measured changes in PMS symptom severity and quality of life.
What they found
All 15 participants completed the program with 100% acceptance and retention and no adverse events. Participants found the practices easy to learn and helpful for mood, strength, flexibility, and balance. After 8 weeks, PMS symptoms decreased significantly and quality of life improved across physical, emotional, and social areas.
What it means for you
Cycle-specific yoga may help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life. This was a very small pilot study with only 15 women and no comparison group, so we cannot be certain yoga caused the improvement or whether it would work for other women with PMS.
15
participants
8
weeks of intervention
100%
completion rate
About the study
- Original title
- A Four-phase, Menstrual Cycle-specific Yoga Module to Enhance Menstrual Health: A Development, Validation and Feasibility Study
- Authors
- Hazarika D, Baishya A, Metri K et al.
- Journal
- Annals of neurosciences
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 15
- What was tested
- 8-week program of cycle-specific yoga, 5 sessions per week
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/09727531261456974
Topics
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