Objective and Subjective Outcomes of Yoga-Based Physiotherapy: A Prospective Study Using Wearable Device Monitoring and SF-36 Assessment

Background: Wearable technologies enable continuous, ecologically valid monitoring of physiological responses to therapeutic interventions in real-world settings. Yoga-based physiotherapy is increasingly integrated into preventive and rehabilitative healthcare due to its potential effects on autonomic regulation, sleep, and psychological well-being. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a short-term yoga-based physiotherapy intervention on objective physiological parameters and subjective health-related quality of life, and to assess the feasibility and limitations of wearable device-based monitoring in ecological conditions. Methods: A prospective within-subject observational study was conducted in 30 healthy adults over a four-week period, including a two-week control phase followed by a two-week intervention phase. During the intervention, participants performed daily 10–15-minute yoga-based physiotherapy sessions incorporating breathing exercises, postural control, and relaxation techniques. Continuous monitoring of heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), stress index, and sleep duration was performed using Garmin wearable devices. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. Paired t-tests were applied to compare phases (p < 0.05). Results: The intervention led to a significant reduction in heart rate (74.06 ± 5.0 vs. 71.39 ± 5.2 bpm; p = 0.024) and a significant increase in sleep duration (6.55 ± 0.8 vs. 7.04 ± 0.7 h; p = 0.044). HRV showed a non-significant increase (50.13 ± 10.2 vs. 54.80 ± 9.8 ms; p = 0.086), while stress levels remained unchanged (p = 0.661). SF-36 results indicated significant improvements in physical functioning, role-physical, vitality, and mental health, alongside small but significant declines in bodily pain and role-emotional domains. Conclusions: Short-term yoga-based physiotherapy induces measurable improvements in cardiovascular regulation and sleep, with domain-specific effects on quality of life. Wearable devices offer valuable tools for real-world physiological monitoring; however, discrepancies between objective and subjective outcomes highlight the need for multimodal assessment approaches in rehabilitation research.