The effects of chair yoga practice on stress reduction among high school teachers in Vietnam: a preliminary quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND

Vietnamese teachers face substantial and persistent work-related stress, yet brief, scalable mind - body interventions have been underexplored in this context. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the effects of chair yoga practice on stress reduction and the sustainability of benefits with ongoing practice among high school teachers in Vietnam.

METHODS

Using a quasi-experimental design, 41 teachers participated in a five-day, school-based chair yoga intervention. Psychological distress was assessed with the DASS-10, and brief written reflections were collected at baseline, immediately after intervention, 2 weeks, and 3 months. Quantitative analyses examined changes in DASS-10 scores and time × practice frequency interactions, while qualitative content analysis explored perceived benefits, challenges, and their evolution across time points.

RESULTS

Distress decreased significantly immediately after the intervention [Cohen's d = 0.779, 95% CI (0.425, 1.125)]. Over time, a clear dose-response pattern emerged: teachers who practiced chair yoga regularly (approximately 1-2 times per week) showed the largest and most sustained reductions in distress, whereas those who rarely or never practiced demonstrated partial loss or rebound of symptoms, reflected in large time × practice interaction effects at 2 weeks (ηp2 = 0.382) and 3 months (ηp2 = 0.537). Qualitative findings paralleled these trajectories: initial reflections emphasized relaxation and stress relief alongside physical and scheduling challenges; by 2 weeks, participants increasingly described transformation experiences and greater bodily comfort; by 3 months, they reported a more stable profile of psychological and physical benefits, despite persistent external barriers to practice.

CONCLUSION

A brief chair yoga intervention appears feasible and acceptable in a Vietnamese high school and can rapidly reduce teacher distress, with regular ongoing practice associated with more durable benefits and the development of chair yoga as a habitual coping strategy. However, the quasi-experimental, single-site design, modest sample, attrition, end-of-year timing of the final follow-up, and coarse self-reported adherence measures mean that these findings should be considered preliminary. Even so, the results contribute to growing evidence that low-cost, school-based mind-body interventions may support teacher wellbeing and highlight the need for controlled trials and implementation research in diverse educational settings.