Social Physique Anxiety and Exercise Motivation

The benefits of exercise are clear; they include better overall health, better mood, and less stress (Schultchen et. al., 2019). However, exercise motivations vary (Pate, 1995). Some of these motivations include: health and fitness benefits, social/emotional benefits, weight management, stress management, enjoyment, and appearance (Dacey, 2008). When exercising, many are exposed to an environment of comparison, which has been shown to foster social physique anxiety (Chen, Ku, & Wang, 2012), defined as the “feeling of distress associated with the perceived evaluation of one\u27s physical self” (Frederick & Morrison, 1996). Exercise behavior has been found to change in people with higher levels of social physique anxiety, which may indicate that it affects exercise motivation (Lantz & Hardy. 1997). This study sought to analyze the correlation between social physique anxiety and exercise motivation, measured by the Amended Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 and the Social Physique Anxiety Scale. It was hypothesized that social physique anxiety would be negatively correlated with the exercise motivations of enjoyment, health and fitness, social/emotional benefits, and stress management; and positively correlated with the exercise motivations of appearance and weight management. It is anticipated that results will show that those with lower social physique anxiety will have intrinsic exercise motivation and will exercise more frequently, and those with higher levels of social physique anxiety will have extrinsic exercise motivations and exercise less frequently. The results of this study have key implications for public health and exercise, and the prevention of social physique anxiety by integrating healthy exercise motivations

Resistance training enhances muscular performance in patients with anorexia nervosa: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Low-intensity exercise applied in anorexia nervosa patients has been shown to have a harmless effect on body composition and to effect short-term improvements in muscular strength and agility. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a high-intensity resistance training program designed for adolescents to improve strength and agility in anorexia nervosa restricting-type patients (AN-R). METHODS: From a total of 36 female patients with AN-R, one group (intervention, n = 18) underwent a supervised high-intensity resistance training program lasting 8 weeks, and the other group with no exercise (control, n = 18). Body weight, body mass index, whole-body muscular strength, and agility were assessed before, after, and 4 weeks after training (detraining). RESULTS: Leg-press, bench-press, and lateral row tests improved significantly (p < 0.001) after 8 weeks of training compared with controls. Improvements were maintained after the detraining period. The training program also showed beneficial effects on agility. DISCUSSION: A high-intensity resistance training program adapted to the recommendations for adolescents in AN-R patients was effective and safe, improving muscular strength in the whole body and the ability to perform daily tasks. However, long-term maintenance of gains seems to be linked to the continuance of training or the use of a maintenance program.3.126 JCR (2014) Q2, 24/77 Nutrition & dietetics, 48/140 Psychiatry, 20/76 PsychologyUE