--- title: Can yoga or muscle relaxation exercises ease PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: Yes, in this small trial, students who practiced yoga, or yoga plus progressive muscle relaxation, had lower PMS scores afterward than those who did only rela url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effects-of-yoga-and-progressive-muscle-relaxation-exercises-on-premenstrual-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can yoga or muscle relaxation exercises ease PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2024 # Can yoga or muscle relaxation exercises ease PMS symptoms? Yes, in this small trial, students who practiced yoga, or yoga plus progressive muscle relaxation, had lower PMS scores afterward than those who did only relaxation or nothing. Moderate study design 68 university students with premenstrual syndrome. ## What they did 68 university students with PMS were randomly split into four groups of 17: yoga only, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) only, yoga plus PMR, and a control group with no intervention. Before and after the program, everyone filled in a PMS Scale and a Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. ## What they found The yoga group and the yoga + PMR group had lower PMS Scale scores after the program than the PMR-only group and the control group (p values reported as significant, exact numbers not given in the abstract). ## What it means for you Yoga, alone or combined with relaxation exercises, may help reduce PMS symptoms, but the groups were very small (17 people each) and the abstract does not give the actual score numbers, only that the difference was statistically significant. 68 Total participants 17 Participants per group ## About the study Original title The effects of yoga and progressive muscle relaxation exercises on premenstrual syndrome: a randomized controlled trial Authors Abic A, Dag-Canatan S, Er-Korucu A et al. Journal Women & health Year 2024 Study design Randomised trial Participants 68 What was tested Yoga, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), or both, compared with no intervention. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2024.2314524](https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2024.2314524) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Randomised trial, 2024 Do positive psychology and physical activity help PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2020 Can teaching about yoga techniques improve girls' knowledge about managing PMS? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Randomised trial, 2026 Does yoga or Pilates help manage PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2025 Can hypnosis ease anxiety, stress and low mood in women with PMS? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗