EFFECTS OF 6-WEEK ROPE MALLAKHAMB TRAINING ON SPEED OF MOVEMENT, VITAL CAPACITY AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE

BAL, B.S.; KAUR, P.J.; SINGH, D. Effects of 6-week rope mallakhamb training on speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate. Brazilian Journal of Biomotricity. v. 6, n. 1, p. 25-32, 2012. Yoga is traditionally believed to have beneficial effects on physical and emotional health. The empirical evidence accumulated over the last several decades supports the yoga-related benefits for physical health. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the effects of 6-week rope mallakhamb training on speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate. The research population included 30 inter college girls (Mean ± SD: age 21.33 ± 1.43 years, height 1.67 ± 0.036m, body mass 62.50 ± 3.55 kg) of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab.They were purposively assigned into rope mallakhamb (M) and control (C) groups, n = 15 each. The M group was subjected to 6- week training consisting of various asanas (i.e., Bajrang pakad, Padamasana, Dhanurasana, Needle, Nidrasana, Paschimottanasana, AAri and Simple cross) the control group participated in the routine yoga mallakhamb training not containing the asanas mentioned. The level of p≤0.05 was considered significant. The 6-week rope mallakhamb training brought about significant improvement in speed of movement (t = 3.45), vital capacity (t = 2.98) and peak expiratory flow rate (t = 1.82) in Group (M) as compared with the control one. The 6-week rope mallakhamb training had significant effect on speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate. Thus, such mallakhamb training may be recommended to improve speed of movement, vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate may contribute to enhance concentration based performance and voluntary control of breathing.