Topic 1 543

EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
WHY PEOPLE EXERCISE: MOTIVE FOR

FITNESS
CHAPTER 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Learners should be able to:
Explain why people engage in physical activity

Discuss the motives of exercise.
Explain the reasons for not exercising
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INTRODUCTION
 In past 20- 30 years - interest and involvement in physical

activity.
 The awareness of having a healthy lifestyle - physical activity

and exercise and medium to improve or maintain health
related fitness.
 Motivation and motive is the key of the participation in

exercise.
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Physical Activity vs. Exercise
Physical activity Example:

Physical activity is perceived as any bodily Gardening and
movement produced by skeletal muscles that washing laundry
result in energy expenditure
Exercise Example:
Exercise is defined as a sub set of physical Circuit training and
activity, it planned, structured and repetitive and burpees
has a primary objective of improving or
maintaining physical fitness
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THE NATURE OF MOTIVES AND MOTIVATION
The “motivation” word came from Latin word “Movere”

which mean to move - is a theoretical concept used to
describe behavior.
Motives used to explain why people do what they do (e.g.,

term such as aroused, provoked, energized, activated and
intense are used to describe people who are highly in
motivated state).
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REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON EXERCISE AND FITNESS MOTIVES
The work of Gerald Kenyon (1968a) was among the earlier scholarly work that has classified the reason why people engage in
physical activity.
Kenyon has developed theoretical model that hypothesized six subdomains to explain why people involve themselves in
physical activity and exercise.
1. Social experience - provide a medium for meeting new people or increase existing relationship.
2. Health and fitness - the development or enhancement of physical fitness.
3. Pursuit of vertigo - Activities involving risk, danger, or a thrill.
4. Aesthetic experience - Physical activities that appeal to participants because of their characteristic of beauty, grace, symmetry, or
other artistic qualities..
5. Catharsis - Participation in physical activity in order to release tension or pent-up emotion.
6. Ascetic experience. The willingness or desire to endure long painful training in pursuit to achieve particular goals.
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Sex differences in exercise motives
Male and female college students = health and fitness,

competition, and social experience were rated as the most
important reasons for participating in physical activities.
Females – 1) health and fitness, 2) social experience, and 3)

competition in that order,
Males – 1) competition, 2) health and fitness, and 3) social

experience.
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Motives of runners (Johnsgard, 1985)
 Afterglow. The elevated mood and feeling Fame and fortune. To make money or
of relaxation after running. win fame.
Fitness. Cardiovascular and general Feels good. How one feels during a run.
physical fitness.
Identity. The definition of self as a
Centering. Space to be alone and to
runner.
experience self.
Slim. To control weight.

Challenge. To challenge or improve self.
Competition. To measure self against Social. To make new friends or maintain
others. old friendship.
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RECURRING MOTIVES FOR EXERCISE
There are five primary motives for exercising

Health & fitness

Most people now believe that they should exercise.
Blue-collar workers, low income groups, and the elderly, have not joined the
fitness movement in any significant way.
Regular exercise is associated with people of higher income, education,
and occupational status.
Prevent from disease like hypertension and lower back syndrome chronic
degenerative diseases.
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Cont’d
Exercise as means to improve appearance

“Weight loss” and “shaping up”.
Body image or the perception and evaluation of one body are also important factor in
self-concept and personality.

Exercise for enjoyment

Most people engage in physical activity over a long period - a sense of fun or
happiness.
intrinsically motivated activity – benefit and satisfaction inherent in the activity and
extrinsically motivated activity – reasons not directly involved with the activity.
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Cont’d
Exercise as social experience

Meeting new people to fighting loneliness and social isolation.
Sharing the group exercise experience often leads to friendship among regular participants.
Social experience as an important motive for participation is evident at all ages. Affiliation or the desire
to be part of a team, to be with friend and to make new friends is a leading motive for participation in
youth sports

Exercise for psychology benefit

Exercise reduces tension and anxiety, improves ones coping ability, and promotes feelings of happiness.
Age and sex are factors that seem to influence the importance on psychological outcomes of exercise.
Women seem to appreciate the potential psychological benefits more than men do.
The type of exercise most often associated with exercise dependence is running
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REASON FOR NOT EXERCISING
Lack of Time

Most famous reason that people cite for not exercising.
The usual justifications for inactivity include business or career
responsibilities, family obligations, or just “too busy”.
Way to overcome:
Time management training may help a person to find time to exercise
and offer a program that provides enjoyment and personal satisfaction
in order attract people to start exercising.
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Cont’d
Fatigue

Being too tired is the second most common excuse people use to avoid
exercising.
Feeling tired is usually a matter of mental rather than physical fatigue.
Way to overcome:
Do some interesting activity to relieve fatigue (e.g., Bicycle ride and play some
tennis). Again emphasis on enjoyable activities.
The activity that is anticipated with pleasure is much more likely to encourage
regular participation.
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Cont’d
Lack of Facilities

No access to facilities. They may believe that exercise facilities are non-existent,
inconvenient, or inappropriate.
Inappropriate facilities have to do with the amount of space, the features of the facility,
attractiveness and ambiance.
Way to overcome:
Provide a clean, large, and tastefully decorated facility and a wide array of exercise
equipment.
Good facilities and professional instruction play an important role in establishing the
exercise habit
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Cont’d
Lack of Knowledge about Fitness

Many people simply do not know what form of exercise they should choose or how
much to do.
There also exists an immense amount of misinformation concerning all aspects of
exercise.
Way to overcome:
Special program such as clinic and workshop can provide more in-depth
information.
Free printed materials, a lending library, and audio or video resources can also help
satisfy the demand for accurate information about exercise
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Cont’d
Lack of willpower

Traditionally considered a personality trait or physic force that enables a person to
control his or her action.
People can affect their major behavioural changes by simply “putting their minds to
it”, implying a repository of inner strength that allows them to transcend problems.
Way to overcome:
Try to re-educate people with respect to willpower. And promote the concept of self-
control instead of focusing on willpower.
Understanding the factors that influences a person’s behaviour and learn how to
alter these factors to bring about the desired changes is the exercise to self-control.
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the reasons why people engage in
physical activity according to Gerald Kenyon.
2. Explain five primary motives of exercise.
3. Elaborate five reasons why a people do not
exercise.
17 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

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EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY

WHY PEOPLE EXERCISE: MOTIVE FOR

Explain why people engage in physical activity

2 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

 In past 20- 30 years - interest and involvement in physical

 The awareness of having a healthy lifestyle - physical activity

 Motivation and motive is the key of the participation in

3 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

Physical Activity vs. Exercise

Physical activity Example:

4 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

The “motivation” word came from Latin word “Movere”

Motives used to explain why people do what they do (e.g.,

2. Health and fitness - the development or enhancement of physical fitness.

3. Pursuit of vertigo - Activities involving risk, danger, or a thrill.

5. Catharsis - Participation in physical activity in order to release tension or pent-up emotion.

6 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

Male and female college students = health and fitness,

Females – 1) health and fitness, 2) social experience, and 3)

Males – 1) competition, 2) health and fitness, and 3) social

7 DR. MAZLAN, 2019

Slim. To control weight.

Competition. To measure self against Social. To make new friends or maintain

others. old friendship.

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