Стаття розкриває проблемну доцільність використання засобів йоги у процесі занять з фізичного виховання зі студентами спеціальної медичної групи та зміни їх фізичної підготовленості під впливом цих занять.
As of today, deterioration of the state of health of the population is defined by the world community as a problem of planetary scale. It is proved scientifically and statistically that the health of citizens of Ukraine has sharply worsened in recent years. The word “yoga” has a set of various meanings and derives from the root “yuj” that is translated as: a team, to hold firmly, to connect, to tie. Thus, the word “yoga” in the main consideration means "unification". Hatha yoga denotes a system of yoga, implemented as a prior stage of physical clarification of a body before the stages of highest meditation; it is work with consciousness by means of a body. The purpose of the study is to implement the methods of Hatha yoga gymnastics in the learning process, aimed to improve the effectiveness of physical education of students of higher educational institutions who for health reasons are referred to special medical group and have low level of functional and physical fitness. In the lessons of recreational gymnastics traditional general developmental exercises were used in the control group, in the experimental group the main methods of physical education were asanas, breathing exercises (full breath, kapalabhati, anuloma viloma), static and dynamic complexes of asanas, relaxation. The effectiveness of usage of the implemented methods of hatha yoga is proved by reliable (p <0,05-p <0,001) improvement of the Shtange and Gench test indicators in the student of the experimental group, the level of physical fitness (<0.001) of students significantly increased across all indicators in contrast to the students of control group where reliably significant changes are observed only in the indicators of the strength endurance of hands. Methods of recreational Hatha yoga gymnastics which are implemented for the usage in physical education of students of higher educational institution, who for health reasons are referred to special medical group, appeared to be an effective approach of general health improving, an increase of physical fitness level and working capacity.