Chapter 3 - The Psychology of Exercise

Question 1

List 5 common barriers to exercise.

Answer 1

1. Perceived lack of time
2. Unrealistic Goals
3. Lack of Social Support
4. Social Physique Anxiety
5. Convenience: access to facilities, classes, personal trainers, and instructors

Question 2

What is social support? What are the 4 kinds of support?

Answer 2

• Physical and emotional comfort that a person receives from others
  Types of Support:
  1. Instrumental
  2. Emotional
  3. Informational
  4. Companionship

Question 3

List some types of “group” exercise influences.

Answer 3

1. Family
2. Parental
3. Exercise Leader
4. Exercise Group (both size and composition)

Question 4

• The tangible and practical factors necessary to help a person adhere to exercise or achieve exercise goals.
  Examples:
• Transportation to facility
• Babysitter
• Spotter for weight-lifting

Answer 4

Instrumental Support

Question 5

• Encouragement, caring, empathy, concern
• Will enhance self-esteem and reduce anxiety
  examples: raising client for efforts, encourage to work harder, sympathize with sore muscles

Answer 5

Emotional Support

Question 6

• Directions, advice, suggestions about how to exercise, feedback regarding their progress
• One of the main reasons why people come to personal trainers in the first place

Answer 6

Informational Support

Question 7

• Availability of family, friends and coworkers with whom clients can exercise with
• Produces positive feelings and may distract people from the negative aspects of exercise-related feelings such as fatigue, pain, and boredom and can provide a sense of camaraderie and accountability

Answer 7

Companionship Support

Question 8

• Concern with body image
• Overemphasize the difference between their body type and the body types of others when in a fitness facility.

Answer 8

Social Physique Anxiety

Question 9

Why are unrealistic goals a common barrier to exercise?

Answer 9

• Lowers motivation
• Decreases self-esteem
• Does not provide the exerciser a sense of success

Question 10

Sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts, which disrupts the body’s natural sleep cycle.

Answer 10

Sleep Apnea

Question 11

What are the psychological benefits of exercise?

Answer 11

Improved mood, increased self-esteem, increased positive body image, better sleep, and decreased levels of depression and anxiety.

Question 12

The level of commitment to a behavior or plan of action.

Answer 12

Adherence