Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of specific asana and pranayama on anxiety and quality of life in female professionals with chronic mechanical low back pain.

Methods: A total of 80 female professionals from an orthopedic hospital in Chennai were randomly assigned to either the yoga group (N=20; mean age 31.45±3.47 years) or the control group (N=20, mean age 32.75±3.71 years). The yoga group underwent interventions with an integrated module of asana and pranayama practices, one hour per day and five days a week for Six weeks, and did not engage in any physical practices in the control group. All participants were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL BREF) questionnaire and the State Anxiety Scale.

Results: Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for within-group comparisons and Independent Samples f-test for between-group comparisons, conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Within-group analysis revealed significant changes in physical fitness, psychological wellness, and social domains in both the yoga and control groups. However, analysis showed a higher percentage of improvement in the yoga group compared to the control group.

Conclusions: The practice of asana and pranayama demonstrated reduced anxiety levels and greater improvements in QOL compared to the control group among working female professionals with CLBP. This suggests the importance of incorporating yoga as a lifestyle intervention for working professionals.