The Impact of a 12-Week Structured Yoga Intervention on Flexibility, Balance, and Joint Kinematics in University Athletes: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Objectives. This study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week structured yoga intervention on flexibility, balance, and joint angles (JA) among university athletes. It was hypothesized that participants undergoing yoga training would show greater improvements across these parameters compared to those following regular sport-specific training alone. Materials and methods. A quasi-experimental pre–post design was employed, involving 28 male collegiate athletes divided equally into two groups: the Yoga Group (YG, n = 14; handball players) and the Non-Yoga Group (NYG, n = 14; basketball players). The YG underwent bi-weekly 60-minute yoga sessions over 12 weeks in addition to regular training, while the NYG followed only their conventional training. Outcome measures included the Sit-and-Reach (SR) test, Shoulder Flexibility (SF) test, Stork Stand (SS) test for balance, and joint angle (JA) analysis using Dartfish software during three postures: Right Forward Lunge (RFL), Downward Dog (DD), and Chair pose. Normality of the data was confirmed using Shapiro–Wilk tests (p > 0.05). Paired t-tests and Welch’s t-tests were used for within- and between-group comparisons respectively, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results. The YG showed statistically significant improvements in flexibility and balance: SR increased by +2.1 inches (p = 0.009), SF improved by +1.0 inch (p = 0.025), and SS time increased by +5.1 seconds (p = 0.018). No substantial changes were found in the NYG (p > 0.05). Joint angle improvements in the YG included left ankle dorsiflexion during RFL (−7.3°, p = 0.032), right hip extension during DD (+11.4°, p = 0.008), and right knee flexion during Chair pose (−13.2°, p = 0.011). The NYG exhibited either negligible or regressive joint angle adaptations. Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that structured yoga training significantly enhances flexibility, balance, and biomechanical efficiency in collegiate athletes. Integrating yoga into regular athletic conditioning may serve as a valuable adjunct for performance optimization and injury prevention.