Lecture 1 - Intro to Ex. Phys

Question 1

what is exercise psychology

Answer 1

the scientific of study of people and their behaviour in the exercise setting and in concerned with understanding:
- > individual attitudes, cognition, and behaviour in the context of exercise
- > the social factors that influence these individual attitudes, cognition, and behaviour (i.e. middle aged men are out running to flaunt that they still got it)

Question 2

exercise psychologists are interested in ____________

Answer 2

• > Identifying principles and guidelines that can be used to help adults participate in and benefit from exercise
• > learning how psychological factors influence participation
• > understanding participation in exercise impacts an individuals psychological development and mental wellbeing

Question 3

exercise physiology does not concern itself with ________

Answer 3

• > understanding/modifying behaviour
• > motivating people
• > changing attitudes
  *therefore, to exercise, or not to exercise is a cognitive decision

Question 4

psychology

Answer 4

science of human behaviour

Question 5

psychologist

Answer 5

interested in describing, explaining, predicting and modifying behaviour

Question 6

exercise psychologists do three things…

Answer 6

1. research - advance knowledge in the field
2. teach
3. consulting - business, fitness industry

Question 7

physical activity vs exercise

Answer 7

PA
- > perceived any bodily movement produces by skeletal muscle that results in energy expenditure
Exercise
- > subset of PA
- > it is structured, repetitive, and has a primary objective of improving/maintaining physical fitness

Question 8

historical development of exercise psychology

Answer 8

• > is fuelled by a a broad range of disciplines (sports psych, neuroscience, behavioural psych) and technological advances
• > throughout history, physical requirements of survival have been a defining element of human existence but within the last 150 yrs, industrial and technological advances have made survival no longer dependant on physical demands
• todays population must make a conscious effort to incorporate PA into their lives

Question 9

% of North Americans that participate in regular PA

Answer 9

50%
- > reg PA can help control weight, decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, control type 2 diabetes, etc.

Question 10

financial cost of physical activity consequences in USA

Answer 10

250 billion
- > prescriptions, time off, loss of productivity

Question 11

mental health benefits of PA and its financial costs

Answer 11

MH benefits of PA include elieviating symptoms of depression and anxiety and improving cognitive function
- > this is significant considering 1/5 Americans have a diagnosed mental disorder; costing the USA 99 billion in MH services

Question 12

trends ex psych research

Answer 12

in EP literature, exercise/PA is usually the independant variable
*how does PA influences various factors, ie. weight and diabetes

Question 13

relate acute vs chronic exercise back to research

Answer 13

acute is a single bout of exercise and chronic must be carried out over a period of time
- > thus we must consider the duration, frequency, intensity of the activity when researching the psychological effects of the exercise

Question 14

ACSM

Answer 14

American college of sports medicine

Question 15

ACSM guidlines

Answer 15

• > minimum of 30min of moderate exercise 5x/week
• > these guidelines address physical requirements but no the amount of exercise needed to improve mental health
• > furthermore, the psychophysiological mechanism that explain MH benefits of exercise have not been thoroughly investigated

Question 16

Potential health risk of PA

Answer 16

• > heart attack and MSK injuries are the most discussed
• > when looking at benefits of PA we must consider the risks
• > individuals with underlying heart problems are at increased risk of cardiac event during exercise
• > most MSK related injuries are due to overuse, associated with frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise

Question 17

exercise dependance

Answer 17

• > combination of increased levels of PA participation and a strong perceived need to exercise, regardless of obstacles (-45 degrees, its pouring rain)
• > can interfere with social, work, and personal life; sacrifice doing thing because you have to exercise
• > can also lead to habitual withdrawal that can elicit symptoms similar to depression, anxiety, and/or emotional distress

Question 18

overtraining

Answer 18

exercisers can experience symptoms of chronic fatigue, leading to insomnia and disturbed mood caused when the exercisers frequency, intensity, duration of exercise exceeds their body’s capacity to recover appropriately