ObjectivesA transdisciplinary research approach was used to develop a holistic understanding of the physical and psychosocial benefits of dance as an intervention for people living with chronic breathlessness.MethodsThe dance programme was developed in collaboration with British Lung Foundation Breathe Easy members in NE England (Darlington) and London (Haringey). Members of the Darlington group were invited to participate in the programme. An exercise instructor, trained and mentored by a dance facilitator delivered 60–90 min dance classes for 10 consecutive weeks. Exercise capacity, mobility, quadriceps strength, health status, mood and interoceptive awareness were assessed at baseline and after the 10-week programme. Second-to-second heart rate (HR) monitoring was conducted during one of the classes.ResultsTen individuals were enrolled (n=8 women). Mean (SD) age was 70 (24); Body Mass Index 29.7 (8.1) kg/m2; one participant used oxygen and one a walking aid. Seven completed the dance programme. Improvements in all outcome measures were detected, with the exception of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, which individuals found hard to comprehend. Eight participants wore HR monitors during one dance class and spent on average 43.5 (21.8) min with HR corresponding to at least moderate intensity physical activity (≥64% HRmax). People found the dance classes enjoyable and those with relevant past experiences who are optimistic, committed to staying well and playful readily adopted the programme.ConclusionA dance programme bringing both physical and psychosocial benefits for people with chronic breathlessness is acceptable when coproduced and evaluated through a transdisciplinary approach.
This article explores how patients and their families engage with yoga practice offeredat a psychiatric ward of MGMC&RI in the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth in Pondicherry, India. The material collected during participant observation-based research in form of detailed field notes, photography and video focused on patients' experiences, hopes and limitations as well clinical staff's expectations and opinions on providing yoga as a therapeutic activity. Participants in the study found yoga to be a beneficial practice through which they could release tensions, relax and care for themselves. However, patients also felt that they would not be able to continue with their practice once discharged from the hospital. In addition to therapeutic interventions, then, there is a burning need to introduce yoga in patients as a long-term skilled practice. Yoga could be brought out of the psychiatric ward into the patients' day-to-day lives by encouraging families to practice together. Furthermore, we suggest that using personalised videos could support patients in maintaining regular practice and to enhance adherence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.