Exercise: Improving Compliance and Long-term Weight Loss

The overall aim of the proposed study is to determine the effectiveness of a 3-month yoga program on increasing compliance and improving weight loss while participating in the Sanford Profile program. The 6-month study includes a 3-month randomized, controlled trial using in-person yoga, a yoga DVD, and a stretching DVD (control group) followed by a 3-month post-intervention follow-up. The study will be conducted to test the hypotheses that both in-person yoga classes and DVD yoga participation will result in 1) greater compliance with the Profile program, 2) greater weight loss during the yoga intervention, and 3) greater weight loss 3 months following completion of the intervention compared to the stretching intervention. Compliance will be investigated using percent of days that dietary intake was entered online and percent of days that online records indicate that the program was followed. Changes in weight will be measured using data transmitted from electronic scales that are provided as part of the Profile program. In order to assess weight change after participation in the intervention we will ask participants to continue weighing themselves daily for 3 months following completion of the intervention regardless of whether they completed the Profile program or not. Participants will complete online questionnaires on behavioral and appetite perceptions related to eating, food intake, stress levels, compliance with diet recommendations given to them by Sanford Profile, and perceived benefits of their intervention. We will use these measures to determine the effect of yoga participation on eating behaviors and stress levels.

Inclusion criteria

• Must be participants in the Sanford Profile Program (weight loss program)

Exclusion criteria

• Must have physician approval if answers yes to Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ) questions