Adding mindful breathing showed no clear advantage over mindful stretching alone
Students reported less loneliness after either online stretching programme. Adding mindful breathing produced no statistically significant advantage, and the abstract describes no group receiving neither programme.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Both groups reported reduced loneliness and increased mindfulness after the programmes. No statistically significant differences between groups were found for any measured outcome, including hair cortisol. Because both groups received stretching, their improvements cannot establish an effect compared with receiving no programme. A nonsignificant comparison also does not demonstrate equivalence between the programmes.
The comparison tested an added breathing component without a described inactive control group. The abstract provides no longer-term follow-up or confidence intervals for differences between groups.
Randomization addressed the breathing component
Both groups received mindful stretching, so random assignment helped compare programmes with and without breathing. Changes within either group cannot separate effects of the programme from other changes that occurred over the same period.
Interviews describe participants' experiences
Participants in both groups described feeling calmer and more aware of themselves and their surroundings. These accounts provide context for their experience, but do not establish that the programmes caused the measured changes or were equally effective.
The original publication
Effects of online mindful stretching exercises for loneliness, mindfulness, and hair cortisol: A mixed method study.
Jong FJX, Lee CCW, Ting RS et al.
Explore (NY) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40614537
- Record checked
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