Examining the impact of combining yoga-based breathing techniques with short-bouts of walking on state anxiety: findings from two pilot randomised trials

Background Single bouts of exercise can reduce state anxiety, but little is known about the benefits of short-duration walking and the potential additional benefits of integrating yoga-based breathing techniques. This study aimed to investigate whether performing a yoga-based breathing pattern, breathwalk (BW), offers additional acute benefits compared to normal breathing, on state anxiety during a single bout of walking.Methods Two pilot randomised trials (parallel groups) were conducted in healthy adults (n = 37 and n = 47) in different naturalistic settings. In both trials, participants (students/staff in one University) were randomly assigned to the breathwalk (BW) or normal walking (NW) group. All the participants performed one short bout of walking at a self-selected moderate pace. The BW group also followed a breathwalk protocol of step-based inhalation and exhalation during the walking bout. The outcome measure in both trials was state anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults™) assessed pre- and post-walking bout. Participants and outcome assessors were not blinded. Analyses were performed using two-way mixed factorial analysis of variance with follow-up paired sample t tests. Cohen's d effect sizes provided an indication of the magnitude of change within each group.Results In trial 1, there was no significant (group × time) interaction, but a significant main effect represented a reduction in state anxiety in both groups. In Trial 2, a significant interaction effect was found; only the BW group showed a significant reduction in anxiety over time. In both trials, effect sizes (reduction in state anxiety) were greater in the BW compared with the NW group.Conclusion These trials provide further evidence of the beneficial effects of short, single bouts of walking on the mental well-being of young adults. There was preliminary evidence that the incorporation of a simple, breathing technique (breathwalk) provided greater anxiolytic effects than walking alone which warrants further investigation.