Effect of iron yoga practices and mindfulness meditation on psychological variables of school Kho - Kho players

The present study examined the effect of Iron Yoga practices and mindfulness meditation on selected psychological variables among school Kho-Kho players. For the purpose of this study Forty-five students aged 14–17 years were selected from different school of Salem District using a random sampling technique and were randomly assigned into three equal groups: Iron Yoga practices (Group I), mindfulness meditation (Group II), and a control group (Group III). The experimental groups underwent their respective training for eight weeks, five days per week, while the control group continued their regular activities without additional training. The study adopted a randomized pre- and post-test design. Self-regulation and emotional well-being were assessed using the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). The results revealed significant improvements in both self-regulation and emotional well-being among the Iron Yoga and mindfulness meditation groups, while the control group showed no significant changes. Analysis of covariance indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Further post hoc analysis confirmed that both experimental groups outperformed than the control group, with the Iron Yoga group demonstrating greater improvements than the mindfulness meditation group. The findings suggest that integrating Iron Yoga practices and mindfulness meditation can effectively enhance psychological variables among school-level Kho-Kho players, with Iron Yoga showing comparatively stronger effects.