Perceptions, acceptability and experiences of yoga to support long-COVID: A survey of people living with long-COVID

Background The impact of long-COVID can be substantial for individuals, health systems and the economy, nevertheless, treatment and support options are limited. Yoga offers a potential solution to reduce the burden of long-COVID, demonstrating positive impacts on the biological mechanisms implicated in long-COVID, key long-COVID symptoms and associated mental health challenges. Yoga interventions can also be designed for people with limited physical ability, and online delivery can increase accessibility. Aim To understand the perceptions and experiences of yoga for long-COVID, in order to establish the potential of yoga for helping people with long-COVID (PWLC). Methods An online survey of PWLC, comprised closed and open response questions on: long-COVID symptoms, support needs, perceptions of a yoga intervention and its components, and yoga use. Participants (n = 170) were recruited via Prolific. Inclusion criteria were long-COVID (formal diagnosis or self-reported) and living in the UK. Inductive thematic analysis was used for open ended responses. Results PWLC reported feeling despondent about their condition and abandoned by health professionals. We identified several unmet needs among PWLC that align with the potential benefits of a yoga intervention, particularly in supporting symptom management, self-management and psychological symptoms. Additionally, there was a high level of interest in a yoga intervention. Barriers included anxiety regarding the group setting, fitting sessions into schedules, lack of energy and concerns about suitability for long-COVID. Those already practising yoga with long-COVID reported that yoga helped to manage symptoms and associated psychological challenges, as well as increasing flexibility and providing a safer alternative to exercise. Conclusions Yoga appears to be an acceptable intervention for PWLC, but needs to be tailored to fit their ability and address their concerns. It should be offered in the context of health professional validation of symptoms.