An Internet-based survey of the dance fitness program OULA

Abstract

Background:OULA is a high-energy dance workout to top 40 hits that is inspired by yoga and non-impact aerobics. Created in Missoula, Montana, the program has been gaining national and international popularity. To understand the demographic composition, reasons for attending OULA, and experiences with depression/anxiety, we conducted an Internet-based survey.Methods:A pilot descriptive cross-sectional Internet-based survey was created in Qualtrics and distributed through social media and flyers.Results:The 38-item survey received responses from 302 participants. Current OULA participants chose “exercise” as the primary reason for attending (40.2%, 95% confidence interval: 33.3–48.2), followed by “stress relief/improve mood” (28.8%, 95% confidence interval: 23.0–35.6). Participants listed “stress relief/improve mood” as the most common secondary (35.6%, 95% confidence interval: 29.0–43.2) and tertiary (38.6%, 95% confidence interval: 31.7–46.7) reason for attending OULA. A majority of the participants said that OULA makes them feel like part of a community (93.2%, 95% confidence interval: 82.5–105.1) and increases their energy outside of class (80.1%, 95% confidence interval: 70.2–91.1). In our sample, 12.5% (95% confidence interval: 8.8–17.1) and 9.0% (95% confidence interval: 5.9–12.9) were currently taking antidepressants and anxiolytics, respectively.Conclusion:These results suggest that current OULA participants are already using the program to relieve stress or improve mood. Further research should be conducted to understand the relationship between OULA and depression/anxiety.

Leisure Motivation and Satisfaction: A Text Mining of Yoga Centres, Yoga Consumers, and Their Interactions

“…Although PALMS was not tailored for yogi motivation study, it perfectly incorporates the major reasons for yoga practice reported in successive studies, encompassing healthy body [55], more active lifestyle [56], physical fitness [33], better appearance [57], stronger control of emotion [58], personal mental growth [59], feeling like part of a community [60], and social engagement [34]. The only thing missing from PALMS seems to be spirituality related appeals [61], which may be explained by PALMS focusing on physical activities whereas spirituality is highly mental.…”

The emotional dance with depression: A longitudinal investigation of OULA® for depression in women

“…First, the attrition rate in this study was much higher than expected. Namely, in an Internet survey of OULA â , the authors report that the majority of the sample attended OULA â for 4-5 years (Hellem and Ferguson 2018). In the current study, n=30 (56.6% attrition rate) women dropped out of the study, mostly due to protocol non-compliance.…”

“…A commonly used slogan in OULA â is, "it's not about how it looks, but about how it feels," encouraging participants to concentrate on how they feel while dancing and ignore how they look. In an Internet-based survey of OULA â participants, the authors report that the majority of OULA â participants are women and that the top two reasons for attending OULA â are for exercise and stress relief/improve mood (Hellem and Ferguson 2018).…”