Emotions Often Overrule Intentions to Exercise

(December 18, 2009) - You know you should do something, like exercise, but your fears about looking foolish get in the way. (Read about "Getting Started on Fitness") That appears to be what is keeping a lot of overweight (Read about "Obesity") people from exercising to lose weight (Read about "Losing Weight"), according to a new study.

Researchers questioned overweight people about exercise and their attitudes about working out in places like a health club. They also questioned normal weight people to be able to compare answers.

The researchers found that overweight individuals believed exercise improved appearance and self image more than normal weight individuals. However, overweight individuals felt more embarrassed and intimidated about exercising, exercising around young people, exercising around fit people, and about health club salespeople than individuals of normal weight.

Overweight and normal weight individuals felt the same about exercising with the opposite sex, complicated exercise equipment, exercise boredom, and intention to exercise. Most notably, the heavier the subject's weight, the lower his or her perception of health. In other words, for the overweight, sedentary person, the negative emotions associated with health club exercise may be stronger in controlling regular exercise than the intellectual facts.

According to the study authors, it would be wise for exercise professionals and commercial health clubs to help overweight people feel more comfortable around those who are different from themselves and to minimize the intimidating aspects of the exercise environment, while promoting the benefits of exercise to personal health and wellbeing.