The Effects of Physical Exercise on Self-Attitudes

Research exploring the effects of physical conditioning on self-attitudes is reviewed. Conclusions from the studies are equivocal and depend upon subjects' emotional and physical status, the types of subjects, training programs, assessment tools, and subjects' psychological investment in the fitness programs. Although more research is needed to further elaborate the effective parameters of conditioning programs, general conclusions are that physical fitness is associated with enhanced self-attitudes in individuals, of all ages, who have physical and/or emotional disorders. Whether non-rehabilitation subjects show similar enhancement of self-attitudes depends upon their initial physical or psychological condition, their personality and the characteristics of the training program.