Positive Psychological Effects on Exercise

“Positive Psychological Effects of Exercise” Kelsey Leavitt Thomas G. Plante, C. C. (2006, April 10). Psychological Benefits of Exercise Paired with Virtual Reality. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. tntech. edu/ehost/detail? vid=5&sid=2e69bd11-298b-4674-98ca8d42db4513b4%40sessionmgr110&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=pdh&AN=2006-04110-006 Introduction Numerous studies showed that a daily routine of exercise made people live longer lives, had healthier bodies, and were in a more positive psychological state than the people who did not perform exercise as part of their lifestyle.

Majority of my family members were overweight and I witnessed many psychological effects that took a toll on their bodies and interfered with their work routine and also their social life. On the other hand, when I reached a certain age in my life, I knew that I did not want to have the health problems some of my family members did and decided to make exercise part of my daily routine to decrease the negative psychological effects that it could have had on myself.

Many people used the excuse; I do not have time for exercise or I didn’t have any money for a gym membership. To me, this was just an excuse because anyone can take thirty minutes a day and go for a walk through the park or jog through the neighborhood, which cost no money at all. “Research demonstrated that individuals who exercised with others, that involved virtual reality stimulation, or getting feedback aimed at improved self efficiency and enjoyment, greater increase in stress reduction, mood, and well-being, and reduced anxiety and depression” (Plante 1).

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In the database I researched, a sample of 112 psychology students participated in a study designed to measure momentary mood states which included, energy, calmness, tension, and tiredness. The participants in the exercise experienced the lowest level of tiredness. Overall, “this study suggested that the combination of virtual reality and exercise improved some of the positive psychological effects of exercise compared with virtual reality or exercise alone” (Plante 1). Purpose The purpose of this article was to investigate the role of virtual reality on the psychological benefits of exercise.

The article showed forty-seven male and sixty-five female psychology students who participated in a study and were asked to complete the AD-ACL questionnaire which measured state energy, calmness, tiredness, and tension. “It was predicted that when virtual reality was paired with exercise, it would positively influence the mood benefits of exercise” (Plante 1). Participants were then randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a twenty minute brisk outdoor walk, combined virtual reality with walking on a treadmill, and virtual reality without exercise condition. Among all participants, there were no significant effects on energy, calmness, or tiredness. However, there were significant effects for tension” (Plante 1). The results of this study were determined by running a series of sample t-tests, which concluded a p-value that clarified whether the test had a significant effect or a non-significant effect. I learned from my adaptive class, that having a p-value less than 0. 5 is significant and anything above that is non-significant, which is how I determined the results from reading the chart of scores from this study. The results suggested support from the hypotheses as virtual reality did boost positive mood benefits when paired with exercise” (Plante 1). As mentioned earlier, the exercise environment contributed to psychological benefits of exercise by affecting well-being, confidence, enjoyment, mood, and self-efficiency. Problem A quote that I like to live by stated, “One can talk the talk, but can one walk the walk”? I believe that this had a lot to do with the problems with exercise. Despite all the physical and psychological benefits associated with exercise, exercise involved a risk of serious injury.

Exercise related injuries consisted of pulled muscles, sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations. Individuals that were out of shape, failed to wear correct shoes, or improper use of the exercise equipment were more likely to be injured during exercise. Another problem with exercise was obsession. Believe it or not, one can exercise too much, which caused more harm than good mentally. Excessively exercising can cause one’s body to burn out, which had an increased risk of injury.

If an individual became obsessive about their appearance, it would lead them to poor self-esteem and developed into a bad attitude about the psychological purpose of exercise. Solution There were many ways for individuals of all ages and sizes to improve and help cope with the psychological problems of exercise. Wearing proper protective equipment, proper clothing and shoes, and even having a gym owner show you the proper way to use their exercise equipment are all ways that helped reduce the risk of injury involved with exercise today.

Also, creation of a comfortable, proper daily exercise routine reduced the risk of an individual becoming burnt out or becoming obsessive with exercise. Lastly, another solution to the psychological effects of exercise is the production of endorphins. Endorphins are produced from exercise and have relieved pain, stress, and enhanced the immune system. Based off the research, the environment that an individual chose to exercise in helped with the psychological benefits of exercise as well.

The results from this article demonstrated that indoor exercises were more relaxing. An indoor environment proved to be more calming because it was an enclosed and secure area, and there were minimal distractions. Furthermore, “our findings suggest that an individual's decision to workout indoors or outdoors could be influenced by whether he or she is attempted to relax or energize” (Plante 1). For example, one chose to run outside in the morning to increase energy levels or one chose to run indoors in the evening to wind down and decrease tension before bed.

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