2.4.2. Components of the Intervention
low lunges, boat pose and chair, eating behavior, dancer
STRETCHES
Each mindful eating workshop lasted 90 min. The program was centered around 10 eating principles (For YogaDance, the training intensity was selected to ensure participant adherence and meet the recommendations by the WHO for physical activity for adults (i.e., 150 min at moderate intensity or 75 min at high intensity per week). The first 20 min of a YogaDance class consisted of warming up and flow yoga. The warm-up included mindfulness meditation and gentle movements such as joint rotations, neck rolls, and side stretches. Subsequently, classic yoga poses and sequences were performed in a choreography to modern music in various genres (e.g., pop, electronica, hip-hop, rock). Some of the most utilized yoga poses in the first yoga part included warrior poses, downward facing dog, three-legged dog, cobra, cat-cow, plank pose, high and low lunges, boat pose and chair pose. When moving through the different poses and sequences, the movements happened on beat and in time with the music. The next 35 min of a YogaDance class consisted of dance, which was based on styles within Urban Dance (hip-hop, house, dancehall, and afro beat). During the dancing part, various dance steps and sequences were repeated and then put together as a choreography. Examples of steps used in YogaDance were “Bart Simpson”, “Azonto”, “Two-step”, “Coupe”, “Bogle move”, “Swing it away”, “Lock on”, and “Jack”. The last 20 min of a YogaDance class consisted of yoga, where the focus was on balance, stretching, and relaxation. In the balance part, poses such as tree pose, dancer pose, standing pigeon, warrior pose, and half-moon pose were presented. The YogaDance class continued with a relaxation part with gentle flows and stretches such as universal stretch, pigeon stretch, happy baby, hamstring stretch, and child’s pose. The YogaDance class ended with a short mindfulness meditation. It is worth mentioning that even though yoga has its roots in Hinduism and can be associated with a number of religious practices, in this study a non-religious, modern form of yoga was taught, exclusively with a focus on increasing physical and mental well-being.Participants received 1–2 audio clips each week. The audio clips were adapted to each study group and served as supporting material for the different interventions. The audio clips for the YogaDance group included information about yoga and dance as well as the benefits of these two forms of movement. The audio clips for the mindful group included guided meditations, mindful eating exercises relevant to the mindful eating workshops and reflection exercises about eating behavior. The combined mindful eating and YogaDance group received both mindful eating and YogaDance audio clips. The control group received the same number of audio clips as the three active intervention groups, but the control clips were neutral and focused on general health advice on diet and exercise. The intention of the audio clips was also to keep participants motivated and ensure adherence.