Sport And Exercise Psychology: A Critical Introduction

Try to cycle as often as possible. Cycling not only uses all the main muscles of

the legs but also tones the buttocks through the repeated “push down” phase of

the pedalling action.

• Develop an active lifestyle
  You will reap the greatest benefits from exercise if you regard it as just one part
  of an active lifestyle rather than as an isolated task that you feel compelled to
  perform a few times per week.

Ideas for research projects on exercise psychology

Here are five suggestions for research projects on aspects of the psychology of exercise
behaviour.

1 Although it has long been known that regular exercise can elevate people’s moods,
relatively few studies have been conducted to find out the nature and extent of these
changes over time. Using a standardised test of mood such as the “Profile of Mood
States” (POMS; McNair et al., 1992) as well as a diary of people’s feelings at different
times of the day, can you think of a way of testing the relationship between mood and
exercise over a period of several months?
2 Does the environment in which one conducts one’s physical activity affect its perceived
benefits? It would be interesting to extend the study by Bodin and Hartig (2003)
described earlier in the chapter by comparing the relative effects of different types of
walking routes (e.g., urban, suburban and rural) on people’s mood and well-being.
3 It would be interesting to compare and contrast the views of sports medicine
physicians, physiotherapists and expert coaches about the nature, extent and possible
causes of the problem of exercise dependence in athletes.
4 Do sports medicine professionals practise what they preach? It would be interesting to
explore the attitudes to, and nature of, exercise behaviour displayed by people who
work professionally in this discipline.
5 In an effort to understand the reasons why people tend to drop out so frequently from
structured physical activity programmes, it would be helpful to compare and contrast
the reasons given by gym instructors, exercise adherents and exercise drop-outs (see
Lippke, Knäuper and Fuchs, 2003).

Summary

Although many people realise that physical activity is associated with a range of health
benefits, they appear to be reluctant either to engage in or to persist with regular exercise.
This paradox lies at the heart of exercise psychology—a discipline which is concerned
with people’s involvement in physical activity in various everyday settings. Given this
background, the present chapter set out to investigate the benefits, hazards and
psychological issues arising from people’s exercise behaviour.

Does a healthy body always lead to a healthy mind? Exploring exercise psychology 239