--- title: Can a yoga program designed for different cycle phases reduce PMS symptoms? description: Yes. In an 8-week study, 15 women with PMS who did cycle-specific yoga five times per week showed significant decreases in PMS symptoms and improved quality o url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-four-phase-menstrual-cycle-specific-yoga-module-to-enhance-menstrual-health-a-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can a yoga program designed for different cycle phases reduce PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 # Can a yoga program designed for different cycle phases reduce PMS symptoms? Yes. In an 8-week study, 15 women with PMS who did cycle-specific yoga five times per week showed significant decreases in PMS symptoms and improved quality of life, with no adverse effects. Early or limited evidence 15 female university students with premenstrual syndrome ## What they did Researchers developed a yoga program with different poses for each of the four menstrual cycle phases. They tested it with 15 university students who had PMS, who practiced the cycle-specific yoga five times per week for 8 weeks. They measured changes in PMS symptom severity and quality of life. ## What they found All 15 participants completed the program with 100% acceptance and retention and no adverse events. Participants found the practices easy to learn and helpful for mood, strength, flexibility, and balance. After 8 weeks, PMS symptoms decreased significantly and quality of life improved across physical, emotional, and social areas. ## What it means for you Cycle-specific yoga may help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life. This was a very small pilot study with only 15 women and no comparison group, so we cannot be certain yoga caused the improvement or whether it would work for other women with PMS. 15 participants 8 weeks of intervention 100% completion rate ## About the study Original title A Four-phase, Menstrual Cycle-specific Yoga Module to Enhance Menstrual Health: A Development, Validation and Feasibility Study Authors Hazarika D, Baishya A, Metri K et al. Journal Annals of neurosciences Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 15 What was tested 8-week program of cycle-specific yoga, 5 sessions per week Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/09727531261456974](https://doi.org/10.1177/09727531261456974) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Do college students know that exercise helps PMS and do they actually exercise? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Survey study, 2019 What causes severe PMS in female college students with disabilities? Survey study, 2026 What patterns of mood changes and food cravings occur during the menstrual cycle in college students? Survey study, 2025 How common are period pain and PMS in Spanish university students, and do lifestyle choices affect them? Survey study, 2025 How common is PMS among female medical students, and how severe are the symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗