Aglaia Zafeiroudi | UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY, GREECE (original) (raw)

Papers by Aglaia Zafeiroudi

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

The present paper examines the different types and variations of arabesque dance movement from an... more The present paper examines the different types and variations of arabesque dance movement from ancient times until today. The study analyzes and discusses the elements of arabesque dance, its common cultural elements as visualized through a chronological lens, its choreography, and its aesthetics in order to explore its development in terms of needs that arose from period-specific trends and dance stereotypes. The meaning of the term “arabesque” has changed from simply “a group of dancers,” now representing a delicate and highly masterful art. The gradual refinement of arabesque by dancers and instructors evolved an adept dancing system that positions the body in equilibrium by distributing its weight equally. The physical coordination, posture, and grace inculcated through arabesque movement benefit individuals' strength, posture, focus, and performance. Specific dance teaching styles, methods and strategies are also discussed based on outdoor and indoor modern setting, to crea...

Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology

The transversus abdominis (TrA) is a core muscle that contributes to functional mobility and lumb... more The transversus abdominis (TrA) is a core muscle that contributes to functional mobility and lumbar stability. This study aimed to compare the changes in TrA thickness during different Pilates exercises, and to identify the exercise that elicited the greatest TrA activation. Forty-four healthy women were divided into two groups: young (25–35 years old) and middle-aged (36–55 years old). TrA thickness was assessed by ultrasound while the participants performed five Pilates exercises: basic position, hundred, hip roll, side plank, and dead bug. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the dead bug exercise induced a significantly higher increase in TrA thickness (relative to rest) than the other exercises (p < 0.05). The young group also showed a significantly higher overall TrA thickness than the middle-aged group (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the dead bug exercise is the most effective for enhancing TrA activation among the Pilates exercises tested. The b...

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

This study investigated swim coaches' perceptions of professional development issues and curr... more This study investigated swim coaches' perceptions of professional development issues and current training practices according to their coaching experience, education level, and gender. An online survey (January—April 2022) was completed by 123 swim coaches (96 male/27 female) of competitive swimmers based in 41 countries. The survey consisted of 36 questions divided into six sections: (1) background information, (2) developing swim coaching through learning, (3) self-evaluation, (4) interpersonal-intrapersonal interactions, (5) life skills, and (6) analyzing swimming performance. Pearson chi-square assessed the relationship between the frequency of responses and professional background and gender. The survey results indicated that swim coaches' educational level is potentially one of the most influential parameters affecting the coaches' perceptions about their own professional development. The data presented may be used for the future design of coach education programme...

Sports

Exercises that improve muscle activation are essential for maintaining spinal stability and preve... more Exercises that improve muscle activation are essential for maintaining spinal stability and preventing low back pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of abdominal hollowing and bracing on the activation of the core muscles in CrossFit® participants using ultrasound and electromyography (EMG). Twenty-four healthy adults aged 21 to 42 years old with at least two years of CrossFit® experience performed three core stability exercises (plank, side plank, bridge) with abdominal hollowing and bracing. We measured the ultrasound relative thickness of the local core muscles (transversus abdominis, internal oblique, and lumbar multifidus), and the EMG percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the global core muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, and iliocostalis lumborum). Analysis of variance tests showed that the relative thickness of the local core muscles was greater (p = 0.016) during hollowing (range from 26.8 ± 5.33 to 88.4 ± 11.9% of rest) than b...

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Nov 5, 2022

Yoga retreats are an emerging component of international well-being tourism. This form of tourism... more Yoga retreats are an emerging component of international well-being tourism. This form of tourism focuses on groups with specific demographic characteristics and interests, highlights natural destinations of high tourism value, and supports the development of personal well-being through such practices as mindfulness. This study investigated the demographic characteristics of 203 Greek yoga retreat tourists in relation to their mindfulness levels. The study also investigated the effect of different yoga practices in asana, meditation, and philosophy courses on the formation of mindfulness. The 'Mindful Attention Awareness' scale (Mantzios, Wilson & Giannou, 2015), consisting of 15 items, was used to evaluate mindfulness and psychographics were successfully tested. The results show statistically significant differences in mindfulness between subgroups of participants of different marital status, financial profile, age, and number of years practicing yoga meditation and philosophy. The study concludes that yoga is a serious leisure activity with high personal and work life involvement. The findings enrich data regarding yoga retreats in Greece and establish the profile of yoga retreat participants according to mindfulness, asana, meditation, and philosophical practice participation. Tourism providers can give prominence to the concept of mindfulness as a dominant theme in the wellness tourism industry and, as a consequence, develop and improve the quality of yoga retreat services.

Journal of Educational and Social Research

Self-compassion is considered a protective factor that promotes positive psychology, happiness, e... more Self-compassion is considered a protective factor that promotes positive psychology, happiness, emotional regulation and embodiment. Self‐compassion offers an approach wherein individuals in dance can pursue optimal participation and performance without compromising health and well‐being. The present study aimed to explore self-compassion among recreational dancers and discover possible differences between tango and ballet. More specifically the study examined: i) the levels of self-compassion in recreational tango and ballet dancers; ii) differences in self-compassion according to demographic characteristics; and iii) differences between tango and ballet dancers. The research was based on several adults from various cities in Greece who participated in tango and ballet for recreational reasons during their leisure time. One hundred and ninety-one dancers (20 men and 171 women), between the ages of 17 and 62, completed the self-compassion scale of Mantzios, Wilson and Giannou (2015)...

Journal of Management and Research, 2014

The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people ... more The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people that participate in leisure and recreational activities. In particular to investigate changes in environmental friendly attitudes due to i) different demographic characteristics and ii) different preferences for participation at leisure or recreational activities. Even, to test the predictive ability of the particular environmental variables towards participants’ ‘word of mouth communication’ (WOM) for eco-friendly leisure centers. Three hundred and seventy seven individuals (scuba divers N=81, swimming pool users N=124 and beach swimmers N=172) completed the following scales: a) ‘eco-friendly policy’, b) ‘disposition to eco-friendly behavior’, c) ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’, and ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’. The reliability of the scales were tested successfully (Cronbach’s α= .78 < .89). Generally the results of the study supported that female, older in a...

Journal of Educational and Social Research

This study was aimed at exploring the potential of the Pilates Method of somatic education as a t... more This study was aimed at exploring the potential of the Pilates Method of somatic education as a tool for enhancing factors influencing wellbeing. Specifically, the study focused on investigating whether Pilates Method mat-based and equipment practices affects mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction among adults. A total of 129 adults (16 men and 113 women) participated in this study. Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Self-Compassion Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale, and provided additional information regarding the frequency of participation in Pilates practices and demographics. Correlation analysis indicated strong relationships between variables. One-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences in mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction, and revealed significant differences between Pilates subgroups. Bonferroni post hoc tests showed that participants who practiced Pilates as many as five times per ...

The purpose of the present study was to test the factorial validity of the Greek version of the R... more The purpose of the present study was to test the factorial validity of the Greek version of the Responsible Environmental Behavior scale (Zafeiroudi & Hatzigeorgiadis, 2012), and additionally, to investigate differences in responsible environmental behavior as a function of demographic characteristics, and participation in outdoor activities. Participants were 792 adults (379 men and 413 women) from the prefecture of Attica (the largest prefecture of the country). Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed acceptable fit for the hypothesized 2-factor structure, individual and group environmental action, thus providing support for the factorial validity of the scale. Analysis of internal consistency supported the reliability of the two subscales (Cronbach’s alpha.82 and.85 respectively). Analysis of variance revealed significant effects for (a) gender, with men scoring higher in group action and lower in individual action compared to women; (b) age group, with the 35-54 sub-group displayi...

The present study examined the role of physical activities in environmental responsibility and th... more The present study examined the role of physical activities in environmental responsibility and the link between Physical Education and Environmental Education. More specifically, the study investigated the influence of participation in outdoor recreation activities on adolescent’s perceived information and predisposition to environmental action. Participants were 130 adolescents (71 girls and 59 boys). From the

The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people ... more The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people that participate in leisure and recreational activities. In particular to investigate changes in environmental friendly attitudes due to i) different demographic characteristics and ii) different preferences for participation at leisure or recreational activities. Even, to test the predictive ability of the particular environmental variables towards participants’ ‘word of mouth communication’ (WOM) for eco-friendly leisure centers. Three hundred and seventy seven individuals (scuba divers N=81, swimming pool users N=124 and beach swimmers N=172) completed the following scales: a) ‘eco-friendly policy’, b) ‘disposition to eco-friendly behavior’, c) ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’, and ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’. The reliability of the scales were tested successfully (Cronbach’s α= .78 < .89). Generally the results of the study supported that female, older in age and higher educated participants reported higher scores in all variables. Moreover statistical significant differences were revealed on ‘eco-friendly policy’ scale (p< .001), as scuba-diver and beach swimmer subgroups succeeded significantly higher scores than the swimming pool users. Relevant results appeared for the ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’ variable (p< .01), as scuba-diver subgroup scored significantly higher than the other subgroups. Finally all the three environmentally friendly scales (policy β=.20, compliance β=.26 and disposition β=.41) predicted statistically significant the ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’ (p<.001). The managerial and marketing implications of these results are extensively discussed.

Creativity is a significant part of all aspects of childhood growth and development, including le... more Creativity is a significant part of all aspects of childhood growth and development, including learning. Adventure play has been identified as a key component of early childhood, and it presents a variety of challenges and opportunities to educators, parents and children. This study explores the current state of knowledge of preschool outdoor adventure activity teaching and its impact on learning and creativity. The review reveals that adventure play boosts creativity and learning development in preschool children. Through a review of current literature, this paper discusses the importance of adventure activities in early years, the role of risk in creativity and learning development and the appropriateness of outdoor and adventure activity teaching methods. The paper concludes with an examination of gaps in existing knowledge and a discussion of the challenges to outdoor adventure activities from both parents and children. It recommends that schools, kindergartens and other institu...

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

Bodily movement, rhythmic response, physical exercise and related techniques are sources of spiri... more Bodily movement, rhythmic response, physical exercise and related techniques are sources of spiritual awareness. Yoga and dance are both concerned with the relationship between spirituality and the physical body. This paper presents a literature review of yoga and modern and contemporary dance as spiritual bodily practices. An electronic literature search was undertaken using Scopus, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science databases to examine the integration of modern and contemporary dance with yoga practice. The review reveals a number of important choreographic and spiritual similarities between these practices, including coordinated movement of the body with the breath, sequences of movements, rhythm, gestures and energy management. Many modern and contemporary dancers, choreographers and artists, such as Graham, include yoga techniques in their choreography and teaching. Through bodily movements, yoga and dance allow for self-awareness and self-percep...

Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research

Active living offers a substantial contribution to the mental and physical health of individuals,... more Active living offers a substantial contribution to the mental and physical health of individuals, as well as to community wellbeing and social cohesion. Outdoor and green environments offer additional benefits and determine people’s involvement in physical exercise. Environmental policies put in place by local governments affect citizens’ adoption of active living and physical exercise. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between citizens’ levels of exercise participation in urban open spaces and the provision of exercise-friendly policies by the local authorities. Three hundred and seventy citizens participated in the present study who took part in walking, bicycling, or jogging/ running during their leisure time in urban open spaces and outdoors. Research participants completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ; Shephard, 1997) and Environmentally Friendly Exercise Policy Questionnaire (Kontogianni, 2015), which consisted of three sc...

Environmental Management and Sustainable Development

Yoga philosophy includes ethical codes of conduct, guidelines, meditation and other practices tha... more Yoga philosophy includes ethical codes of conduct, guidelines, meditation and other practices that respect the Earth, its natural resources, humans and other living beings. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of yoga practice on practitioners' environmental behaviours and sustainability. A total of 195 adults (66 men and 129 women) from two cities in Greece participated in this study. The participants completed the General Environmental Responsible Behaviour scale (Zafeiroudi & Hatzigeorgiadis, 2013) and provided additional information about their personal lifestyles, leisure activity preferences and frequency of participation in outdoor activities. Independent sample T-test analysis was used to investigate differences between practitioners' demographics and the General Environmental Responsible Behaviour scale as the dependent variable. The results indicated statistically significant differences in environmental behaviour scores among practitione...

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

The present paper examines the different types and variations of arabesque dance movement from an... more The present paper examines the different types and variations of arabesque dance movement from ancient times until today. The study analyzes and discusses the elements of arabesque dance, its common cultural elements as visualized through a chronological lens, its choreography, and its aesthetics in order to explore its development in terms of needs that arose from period-specific trends and dance stereotypes. The meaning of the term “arabesque” has changed from simply “a group of dancers,” now representing a delicate and highly masterful art. The gradual refinement of arabesque by dancers and instructors evolved an adept dancing system that positions the body in equilibrium by distributing its weight equally. The physical coordination, posture, and grace inculcated through arabesque movement benefit individuals' strength, posture, focus, and performance. Specific dance teaching styles, methods and strategies are also discussed based on outdoor and indoor modern setting, to crea...

Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology

The transversus abdominis (TrA) is a core muscle that contributes to functional mobility and lumb... more The transversus abdominis (TrA) is a core muscle that contributes to functional mobility and lumbar stability. This study aimed to compare the changes in TrA thickness during different Pilates exercises, and to identify the exercise that elicited the greatest TrA activation. Forty-four healthy women were divided into two groups: young (25–35 years old) and middle-aged (36–55 years old). TrA thickness was assessed by ultrasound while the participants performed five Pilates exercises: basic position, hundred, hip roll, side plank, and dead bug. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the dead bug exercise induced a significantly higher increase in TrA thickness (relative to rest) than the other exercises (p < 0.05). The young group also showed a significantly higher overall TrA thickness than the middle-aged group (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the dead bug exercise is the most effective for enhancing TrA activation among the Pilates exercises tested. The b...

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

This study investigated swim coaches' perceptions of professional development issues and curr... more This study investigated swim coaches' perceptions of professional development issues and current training practices according to their coaching experience, education level, and gender. An online survey (January—April 2022) was completed by 123 swim coaches (96 male/27 female) of competitive swimmers based in 41 countries. The survey consisted of 36 questions divided into six sections: (1) background information, (2) developing swim coaching through learning, (3) self-evaluation, (4) interpersonal-intrapersonal interactions, (5) life skills, and (6) analyzing swimming performance. Pearson chi-square assessed the relationship between the frequency of responses and professional background and gender. The survey results indicated that swim coaches' educational level is potentially one of the most influential parameters affecting the coaches' perceptions about their own professional development. The data presented may be used for the future design of coach education programme...

Sports

Exercises that improve muscle activation are essential for maintaining spinal stability and preve... more Exercises that improve muscle activation are essential for maintaining spinal stability and preventing low back pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of abdominal hollowing and bracing on the activation of the core muscles in CrossFit® participants using ultrasound and electromyography (EMG). Twenty-four healthy adults aged 21 to 42 years old with at least two years of CrossFit® experience performed three core stability exercises (plank, side plank, bridge) with abdominal hollowing and bracing. We measured the ultrasound relative thickness of the local core muscles (transversus abdominis, internal oblique, and lumbar multifidus), and the EMG percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the global core muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, and iliocostalis lumborum). Analysis of variance tests showed that the relative thickness of the local core muscles was greater (p = 0.016) during hollowing (range from 26.8 ± 5.33 to 88.4 ± 11.9% of rest) than b...

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Nov 5, 2022

Yoga retreats are an emerging component of international well-being tourism. This form of tourism... more Yoga retreats are an emerging component of international well-being tourism. This form of tourism focuses on groups with specific demographic characteristics and interests, highlights natural destinations of high tourism value, and supports the development of personal well-being through such practices as mindfulness. This study investigated the demographic characteristics of 203 Greek yoga retreat tourists in relation to their mindfulness levels. The study also investigated the effect of different yoga practices in asana, meditation, and philosophy courses on the formation of mindfulness. The 'Mindful Attention Awareness' scale (Mantzios, Wilson & Giannou, 2015), consisting of 15 items, was used to evaluate mindfulness and psychographics were successfully tested. The results show statistically significant differences in mindfulness between subgroups of participants of different marital status, financial profile, age, and number of years practicing yoga meditation and philosophy. The study concludes that yoga is a serious leisure activity with high personal and work life involvement. The findings enrich data regarding yoga retreats in Greece and establish the profile of yoga retreat participants according to mindfulness, asana, meditation, and philosophical practice participation. Tourism providers can give prominence to the concept of mindfulness as a dominant theme in the wellness tourism industry and, as a consequence, develop and improve the quality of yoga retreat services.

Journal of Educational and Social Research

Self-compassion is considered a protective factor that promotes positive psychology, happiness, e... more Self-compassion is considered a protective factor that promotes positive psychology, happiness, emotional regulation and embodiment. Self‐compassion offers an approach wherein individuals in dance can pursue optimal participation and performance without compromising health and well‐being. The present study aimed to explore self-compassion among recreational dancers and discover possible differences between tango and ballet. More specifically the study examined: i) the levels of self-compassion in recreational tango and ballet dancers; ii) differences in self-compassion according to demographic characteristics; and iii) differences between tango and ballet dancers. The research was based on several adults from various cities in Greece who participated in tango and ballet for recreational reasons during their leisure time. One hundred and ninety-one dancers (20 men and 171 women), between the ages of 17 and 62, completed the self-compassion scale of Mantzios, Wilson and Giannou (2015)...

Journal of Management and Research, 2014

The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people ... more The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people that participate in leisure and recreational activities. In particular to investigate changes in environmental friendly attitudes due to i) different demographic characteristics and ii) different preferences for participation at leisure or recreational activities. Even, to test the predictive ability of the particular environmental variables towards participants’ ‘word of mouth communication’ (WOM) for eco-friendly leisure centers. Three hundred and seventy seven individuals (scuba divers N=81, swimming pool users N=124 and beach swimmers N=172) completed the following scales: a) ‘eco-friendly policy’, b) ‘disposition to eco-friendly behavior’, c) ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’, and ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’. The reliability of the scales were tested successfully (Cronbach’s α= .78 < .89). Generally the results of the study supported that female, older in a...

Journal of Educational and Social Research

This study was aimed at exploring the potential of the Pilates Method of somatic education as a t... more This study was aimed at exploring the potential of the Pilates Method of somatic education as a tool for enhancing factors influencing wellbeing. Specifically, the study focused on investigating whether Pilates Method mat-based and equipment practices affects mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction among adults. A total of 129 adults (16 men and 113 women) participated in this study. Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Self-Compassion Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale, and provided additional information regarding the frequency of participation in Pilates practices and demographics. Correlation analysis indicated strong relationships between variables. One-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences in mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction, and revealed significant differences between Pilates subgroups. Bonferroni post hoc tests showed that participants who practiced Pilates as many as five times per ...

The purpose of the present study was to test the factorial validity of the Greek version of the R... more The purpose of the present study was to test the factorial validity of the Greek version of the Responsible Environmental Behavior scale (Zafeiroudi & Hatzigeorgiadis, 2012), and additionally, to investigate differences in responsible environmental behavior as a function of demographic characteristics, and participation in outdoor activities. Participants were 792 adults (379 men and 413 women) from the prefecture of Attica (the largest prefecture of the country). Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed acceptable fit for the hypothesized 2-factor structure, individual and group environmental action, thus providing support for the factorial validity of the scale. Analysis of internal consistency supported the reliability of the two subscales (Cronbach’s alpha.82 and.85 respectively). Analysis of variance revealed significant effects for (a) gender, with men scoring higher in group action and lower in individual action compared to women; (b) age group, with the 35-54 sub-group displayi...

The present study examined the role of physical activities in environmental responsibility and th... more The present study examined the role of physical activities in environmental responsibility and the link between Physical Education and Environmental Education. More specifically, the study investigated the influence of participation in outdoor recreation activities on adolescent’s perceived information and predisposition to environmental action. Participants were 130 adolescents (71 girls and 59 boys). From the

The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people ... more The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmentally friendly behaviour of people that participate in leisure and recreational activities. In particular to investigate changes in environmental friendly attitudes due to i) different demographic characteristics and ii) different preferences for participation at leisure or recreational activities. Even, to test the predictive ability of the particular environmental variables towards participants’ ‘word of mouth communication’ (WOM) for eco-friendly leisure centers. Three hundred and seventy seven individuals (scuba divers N=81, swimming pool users N=124 and beach swimmers N=172) completed the following scales: a) ‘eco-friendly policy’, b) ‘disposition to eco-friendly behavior’, c) ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’, and ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’. The reliability of the scales were tested successfully (Cronbach’s α= .78 < .89). Generally the results of the study supported that female, older in age and higher educated participants reported higher scores in all variables. Moreover statistical significant differences were revealed on ‘eco-friendly policy’ scale (p< .001), as scuba-diver and beach swimmer subgroups succeeded significantly higher scores than the swimming pool users. Relevant results appeared for the ‘centers compliance to eco-friendly services’ variable (p< .01), as scuba-diver subgroup scored significantly higher than the other subgroups. Finally all the three environmentally friendly scales (policy β=.20, compliance β=.26 and disposition β=.41) predicted statistically significant the ‘WOM for eco-friendly leisure centers’ (p<.001). The managerial and marketing implications of these results are extensively discussed.

Creativity is a significant part of all aspects of childhood growth and development, including le... more Creativity is a significant part of all aspects of childhood growth and development, including learning. Adventure play has been identified as a key component of early childhood, and it presents a variety of challenges and opportunities to educators, parents and children. This study explores the current state of knowledge of preschool outdoor adventure activity teaching and its impact on learning and creativity. The review reveals that adventure play boosts creativity and learning development in preschool children. Through a review of current literature, this paper discusses the importance of adventure activities in early years, the role of risk in creativity and learning development and the appropriateness of outdoor and adventure activity teaching methods. The paper concludes with an examination of gaps in existing knowledge and a discussion of the challenges to outdoor adventure activities from both parents and children. It recommends that schools, kindergartens and other institu...

Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

Bodily movement, rhythmic response, physical exercise and related techniques are sources of spiri... more Bodily movement, rhythmic response, physical exercise and related techniques are sources of spiritual awareness. Yoga and dance are both concerned with the relationship between spirituality and the physical body. This paper presents a literature review of yoga and modern and contemporary dance as spiritual bodily practices. An electronic literature search was undertaken using Scopus, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science databases to examine the integration of modern and contemporary dance with yoga practice. The review reveals a number of important choreographic and spiritual similarities between these practices, including coordinated movement of the body with the breath, sequences of movements, rhythm, gestures and energy management. Many modern and contemporary dancers, choreographers and artists, such as Graham, include yoga techniques in their choreography and teaching. Through bodily movements, yoga and dance allow for self-awareness and self-percep...

Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research

Active living offers a substantial contribution to the mental and physical health of individuals,... more Active living offers a substantial contribution to the mental and physical health of individuals, as well as to community wellbeing and social cohesion. Outdoor and green environments offer additional benefits and determine people’s involvement in physical exercise. Environmental policies put in place by local governments affect citizens’ adoption of active living and physical exercise. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between citizens’ levels of exercise participation in urban open spaces and the provision of exercise-friendly policies by the local authorities. Three hundred and seventy citizens participated in the present study who took part in walking, bicycling, or jogging/ running during their leisure time in urban open spaces and outdoors. Research participants completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ; Shephard, 1997) and Environmentally Friendly Exercise Policy Questionnaire (Kontogianni, 2015), which consisted of three sc...

Environmental Management and Sustainable Development

Yoga philosophy includes ethical codes of conduct, guidelines, meditation and other practices tha... more Yoga philosophy includes ethical codes of conduct, guidelines, meditation and other practices that respect the Earth, its natural resources, humans and other living beings. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of yoga practice on practitioners' environmental behaviours and sustainability. A total of 195 adults (66 men and 129 women) from two cities in Greece participated in this study. The participants completed the General Environmental Responsible Behaviour scale (Zafeiroudi & Hatzigeorgiadis, 2013) and provided additional information about their personal lifestyles, leisure activity preferences and frequency of participation in outdoor activities. Independent sample T-test analysis was used to investigate differences between practitioners' demographics and the General Environmental Responsible Behaviour scale as the dependent variable. The results indicated statistically significant differences in environmental behaviour scores among practitione...