Affective responses to 10-minute and 30-minute walks in sedentary,overweight women: Relationships with theory-based correlates of walking for exercise

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine affective responses to 10-min and 30-min walks among sedentary, overweight women. Secondary purposes were to: a) examine differences in theory-based correlates of future participation in walking for exercise; and b) determine if the affective responses were related to these correlates.Design/MethodsTwenty-three sedentary, overweight women (M age = 26.62 years; BMI = 33.53 kg/m²) completed 10-min walk, 30-min walk, and quiet rest (QR) control conditions. Affective responses were assessed prior to, during, and following each condition. Self-efficacy and intention for regular participation in multiple 10-min walks or single 30-min walks for exercise during the next month were also assessed post-exercise.Results/ConclusionsAnalyses revealed that improvements in affective responses (p < 0.05) emerged during and following both walking sessions while no benefits were observed with QR. Self-efficacy (p < 0.01) and intention (p < 0.01) to walk for exercise in the future were significantly higher for multiple 10-min walks. Correlation analyses demonstrated that affective responses were most strongly and consistently correlated with intention and self-efficacy for future participation following the 10-min walk. These findings demonstrate that, while both walks resulted in similar affective benefits, sedentary, overweight women reported greater intention and self-efficacy to participate in multiple brief walks for exercise in the future.     

In sickness and in health?: Psychoanalysis and psychosomatics

Abstract

This article revolves around the question of physicality and its relationship to emotional health. Several different perspectives on the mind-body relationship, from within popular culture, philosophy and psychoanalytic literature, are compared and contrasted. The author then suggests ways in which psychodynamic insights might more effectively be brought to bear upon benign and beneficial aspects of bodily expression and offers illustrative clinical material.     

A New Book by N. A. Bernstein: “On Dexterity and Its Development”

A book, ‘On Dexterity and its Development,’ written by N. A. Bernstein in the 1940s has recently been published in Moscow. We describe briefly the amazing fate of this miraculously saved book and of its famous author. The book is unique in its reader-friendly handling of the most complicated issues of motor control, motor development, motor skill acquisition, and more general aspects of brain activity. It presents the basis for what is now called motor control and for some of the more fundamental issues of theoretical neuroscience. Bernstein described his views on multilevel control of movements, the role of sensory feedback, preprogramming, feedback and feedforward components in motor control, the role of exercise, and other subjects. Despite the fact that the book was written nearly half a century ago, its deep philosophical content remains beyond any competition.     

‘Sticking to a healthy diet is easier for me when I exercise regularly’: Cognitive transfer between physical exercise and healthy nutrition

Objective: Long-term rehabilitation success depends on regular exercise and healthy nutrition. The present study introduces a new framework to explain this association on a psychosocial level. The exercise–nutrition relationship was investigated by exploring the sequential mediation of habit strength and transfer cognitions.

Design: Analyses were performed at two measurement points in time (at 12 and 18?months after rehabilitation), involving 470 medical rehabilitation patients who participated in an exercise intervention.

Main outcome measures: Patients filled in paper-pencil questionnaires assessing exercise (t1) and habit strength, transfer cognitions and healthy nutrition at follow-up (t2).

Results: Habit strength and transfer cognitions mediated the relationship between exercise and nutrition.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that habit strength and transfer cognitions are important factors underlying the relationship between exercise and nutrition.     

Beyond emotional benefits: Physical activity and sedentary behaviour affect psychosocial resources through emotions

Physical activity is known to improve emotional experiences, and positive emotions have been shown to lead to important life outcomes, including the development of psychosocial resources. In contrast, time spent sedentary may negatively impact emotional experiences and, consequently, erode psychosocial resources. Two studies tested whether activity independently influenced emotions and psychosocial resources, and whether activity indirectly influenced psychosocial resources through emotional experiences. Using cross-sectional (Study 1a) and longitudinal (Study 1b) methods, we found that time spent physically active independently predicted emotions and psychosocial resources. Mediation analyses suggested that emotions may account for the relation between activity and psychosocial resources. The improved emotional experiences associated with physical activity may help individuals build psychosocial resources known to improve mental health. Study 1a provided first indicators to suggest that, in contrast, sedentary behaviour may reduce positive emotions, which could in turn lead to decrements in psychosocial resources.     

Associations between visual attention,implicit and explicit attitude and behaviour for physical activity

The current study explored associations between previous physical activity and both implicit and explicit attitudes, as well as visual attention and activity motivation (intention). Analyses were performed on participants initially unaware of the physical activity focus of the study (N = 98). Higher levels of physical activity were associated with positive implicit attitudes and an attentional bias towards exercise cues. There was a quadratic (‘U’ shaped) relationship between implicit attitude and attention: the more extreme individuals’ implicit attitudes towards exercise (positive or negative) the greater their attentional bias to exercise cues. Furthermore, explicit attitude moderated the relationship between attentional bias and physical activity: attentional bias to exercise cues was associated with higher levels of physical activity only for those who had a strong positive explicit attitude. Findings suggested that implicit cognitions are linked with previous physical activity. Future research should consider strategies for strengthening positive implicit and explicit attitudes and directing attention to cues signalling healthy behaviour.     

The effects of leader gender on self-presentational concerns in exercise

The present study examined the impact of the exercise leader's gender on the self-presentational concerns of women in a live exercise class. Eighty-seven college-aged non- or infrequent exercisers participated in a group exercise class led by either a female or male instructor. Participants completed measures of Self-Presentational Efficacy (SPE), State Social Anxiety (SSA) and State Social Physique Anxiety (SPA-S) prior to and following completion of a group exercise class. A repeated measures Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), with time as the within-subjects factor and leader gender as the between-subjects factor, was conducted. A significant main effect for time was found (F(3, 80) = 19.65, p < 0.001). Estimated marginal means indicated that all participants reported significantly higher SPE and lower SSA and SPA-S post-exercise. Completing an exercise class may override any self-presentational concerns that can arise from the exercise environment. Future studies should adopt ecologically valid research designs to gain a clearer picture of self-presentational concerns in exercise classes.     

When ‘fit’ leads to fit,and when ‘fit’ leads to fat: How message framing and intrinsic vs. extrinsic exercise outcomes interact in promoting physical activity

A unique aspect of exercise is that people may choose to engage in it to achieve a variety of outcomes, ranging from extrinsic (appearance, health) to intrinsic (satisfaction, enjoyment). We examined how the impact of gain- vs. loss-framed messages depends on the type of outcome emphasised. Drawing from regulatory focus theory (Higgins, E.T. (1997). Beyond pleasure and pain. American Psychologist, 52, 1280–1300; Higgins, E.T. (2000). Making a good decision: Value from fit. American Psychologist, 55, 1217–1230), we predicted that gain-framed messages would ‘fit’ with intrinsic outcomes and loss-framed messages would ‘fit’ with extrinsic outcomes, but the effect of such fit on physical activity would depend on the participants’ need for cognition (NC). We tested these hypotheses with a sample of 176 sedentary young adults who read an exercise message with randomly assigned frame (gain/loss) and outcome (intrinsic/extrinsic). Participants provided daily reports of exercise over the following week. The predicted interaction between frame, outcome and NC was found (p?=?0.001) such that a ‘fit’ message promoted somewhat, but not significantly, greater exercise for those with high NC, but a ‘non-fit’ message promoted significantly greater exercise for those with low NC. Furthermore, differences in physical activity were partially mediated by attitudes towards exercise. Findings shed light on how the outcomes and motivations associated with physical activity shape people's behavioural responses to framed health communications.     

Predictors of exercise program participation in older women

Abstract

This study examined predictors of exercise program participation in females aged 60 to 89 years of age. Fifty-five exercise program participants and 50 non-exercising subjects were assessed on potential group predictor variables. Univariate analyses indicated that the Exercise compared to the Non-Exercise group had a stronger belief that they did not receive enough exercise in their everyday lives and in the health value of exercise, greater self-efficacy and enjoyment of exercise, and less physical discomfort associated with exercise. The Exercise group perceived exercise programs to be more available and greater family support to participate. Medical advice to exercise and exercise history did not differ significantly between groups. A logistic regression analysis indicated that of the variables assessed, belief that one is not receiving enough exercise in daily life and exercise availability were the most powerful predictors of exercise group membership. The implications of these findings for the promotion of exercise in older women are discussed.     

The Effects of Acute Aerobic Exercise on the Primary Motor Cortex

ABSTRACT. The effect of aerobic exercise on primary motor cortical excitability is a relevant area of interest for both motor learning and motor rehabilitation. Transient excitability changes that may follow an exercise session are a necessary precursor to more lasting neuroplastic changes. While the number of studies is limited, research suggests that a session of aerobic exercise can create an ideal environment for the early induction of plasticity. Potential mechanisms include the upregulation of neurotransmitter activity, altered cerebral metabolism and cortisol levels, and increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor. While there is considerable evidence that chronic physical activity positively impacts brain health and function, studies examining cortical excitability changes and motor performance after a single session of exercise are lacking. Further research is required to determine the clinical utility and feasibility of aerobic exercise.