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Exercise Makes People Think More Positively About Their Bodies
Some interesting research has been published this week. The act of exercising helps people to feel happier with the way they look, even when there are no major real improvements. Just doing a fitness class or going for a run is enough to put people in such a positive mood that they feel that they are fitter and healthier.
This revelation could lead to a change in the way we tackle eating disorders. In most cases an eating disorder develops as a result of a person thinking that their body is not good enough, usually too fat. Many people aspire to the celebrity model of “fitness” and want to look like an actress or popstar and develop eating disorders as a result of being overly critical of their own body condition.
continued below ....“The simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better. You would think that if you become more fit you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that’s not what we found. It may be that the requirements to receive the psychological benefits of exercise, including those relating to body image, differ substantially from the physical benefits.” Prof. Heather Hausenblas, University of Florida.
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Exercising could be enough on its own to raise self-esteem and make people feel better about the way they are. Encouraging people with eating disorders to exercise everyday, ideally in classes and team games, could put an end to many eating disorders.
“This is an important study because it shows that doing virtually any type of exercise, on a regular basis, can help people feel better about their bodies. “With such a large segment of the population dissatisfied with their physiques, it’s encouraging to know that even short, frequent bouts of lower intensity exercise can improve body image.” Prof. Kathleen Martin Ginis, McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
Full details of the research can be found in the September’s Journal of Health Psychology.
Of course, it is worth remembering that in time, with the right exercise program and diet, people will become much fitter and healthier and have real reason to feel happier with the way they look.
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