Living in a Larger Body: Do Exercise Motives Influence Associations between Body Image and Exercise Avoidance Motivation?

Christy Greenleaf and Alexandra M. Rodriguez
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Christy Greenleaf: Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
Alexandra M. Rodriguez: Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: The study explored reasons for exercise as possible mediators of the relationship between body appreciation and exercise avoidance motivation and between body surveillance and exercise avoidance motivation. Using a cross-sectional design, 131 women with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher completed measures of body surveillance, body appreciation, reasons for exercise, and exercise avoidance motivation. Mediation analyses indicated that appearance-oriented reasons for exercise partially mediated the body surveillance–exercise avoidance motivation relationship. Health and fitness professionals, organizations, and environments should avoid reinforcing appearance-oriented reasons for exercise. Rather, empowering exercise experiences and environments should be created as they seem to benefit women regardless of reasons for exercise.

Keywords: body image; exercise; motivation; empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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