Effect Of Kapal Bhati On Vital Capacity * Dr.Sanjeev Sakiya ** Dr.Susanta Kumar Panda (Asst. Prof. GDC, Lalitpur) (Asst. Prof. Lovely Univ. Chandigarh) Abstract The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of Kapal Bhati on Vital Capacity, which is an index of vital lung capacity. The study was conducted at Lakshmi Bai National Institute of Physical Education Gwalior MP.The total sample consisted of 40 male and female participants in the age group of 18-22 yrs. They were divided into 2 groups, 20 subjects were assigned randomly to experimental group and 20 were assigned to control group. All the subjects were tested in the afternoon between 2 to 4 P.M on different days after the completion of 8 weeks training programme. The results indicate that Kapal Bhati significantly improves the vital lung capacity of individuals. Introduction Today yoga being a subject of varied interests, has gained world wide popularity. Recent research trends have shown that it can serve as an applied science is a number of fields such as education, physical education and sports. Health and family welfare, psychology and medicine are also one of the valuable means for development of human resources for better performance and productivity. However, there exists controversy in accepting yoga as medicine and therapy because it has generally been believed that
yoga is a spiritual science having emancipation as its goal and hence can not be treated only as a therapy. The word Kapal Bhati is a compound consisting of two members Kapal and Bhati. In Sanskrit Kapal means the skull and Bhati means to shine. Hence, Kapal Bhati is an exercise that makes the skull, shining. It is one of the six cleansing processes known in Hatha yoga Shath Kriya s and is intended to clear the nasal passage of the respiratory system. Clark has described Vital Capacity as the largest Volume of air that can be exhaled after the deepest possible inhalation. Thakur studied the effect of Kapal Bhati on cardio-respiratory variables. He found that there were significant increases in Vital Capacity, Breath Holding Capacity, and respiratory rate and total body fat percentage where as blood pressure and air flow rate showed insignificant change by practice of Kapal Bhati. Moses conducted a study to investigate the effect of yoga on flexibility, vital capacity and breathe holding capacity and found significant improvement in all these factors. Brouha, Johnson and Buskirk mentioned about the changes in the respiratory responses to energies during training. The changes were progressive and 4-6 weeks were regarded as adequate to reach maximum efficiency. A change in pulmonary ventilation per minute is associated with a degree in rate and an increase in depth of breathing (increased vital capacity). In the trained subjects even at rest the depth of breathing was found to be greater. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of Kapal Bhati on vital lung capacity of the subjects. Sample
The sample of the study consisted of 40 subjects belonging to the age group 18-22 yrs. 20 male/female subjects were assigned randomly to the experimental group and 20 subjects were assigned to control group. Duration The duration of study was 8 weeks during which the subjects of experimental groups undertook Kapal Bhati daily and regularly by gradually increasing the duration after every one week and number of strokes after every two weeks under expert supervision. All the subjects took the same simple food and lived in the similar environmental conditions during the course of the study. Independent Variable Kapal Bhati as prescribed in Hatha Pradeepika Dependent Variable Vital lung capacity as measured by Wet Spiro meter. Hypotheses The practice of Kapal Bhati significantly increases the vital lung capacity of individuals.
Results Significance of the difference between pre test and post test means of experimental and control groups in Vital Capacity. Group Pre test Mean Post test mean DM t Ratio Experimental 3.33 3.74.41 2.73 Control 3.32 3.35.05 0.223 Table- 1 *significant at.05 level of confidence. t.05 (20) = 1.729 Significance of difference between post test means of experimental and control groups in Vital Capacity Group Post test Mean DM t ratio Experimental 3.74.39 2.84 Control 3.35.39 2.84 * Significant at.05 level of confidence. t.05 (20) = 1.729 Table- 2
It is evident from table 1 and 2 that there was a significance of difference between experimental and control groups (t = 2.84) in vital capacity after 8 weeks practice of Kapal Bhati. Discussion The result of study indicated that vital capacity of selected subjects of experimental group were improve by practice of Kapal Bhati which involves fast rhythmic movements of the lung through quick and continuous exhalation with less amount of inhalation pattern of breathing during first phase followed by the phase of Puraka (Inhalation) Kumbhaka (Retention) Rechaka (Exhalation) the change which were attributed because of the rapid action of the walls of lungs (contraction and relaxation) the muscles of the walls of the lungs stretched more because of deeper inhalation later on while practicing the Kapal Bhati continuously the walls stretched completely and permanently so it have been increased lung volume, more oxygen intake etc. as a result vital capacity also increased. Vital capacity shows significant change in the practice of Kapal Bhati as lung in the center point of action and this part is vigorously under work with a forceful and dynamic movement which involved expansion and contraction of rib cage and this must have influenced and dimension of thoracic cavity and hence for that reason significant increase in vital capacity was observed after 8 weeks training programme of experimental group. References
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