Exercise Is a Good Way

Exercise is a good way to socialize as well as to experience enjoyment. One study by Hagberg, Lindahl, Nyberg, and Hellenius (2009) showed that the more a person enjoys a certain physical activity, the harder they will work -- physically speaking -- during the exercise. Enjoyment of exercise was therefore associated with exercise level. This shows that not only will the enjoyment of a certain physical activity result in major positive physical effects, but it can also be very positive for the psychological effects as well.

Though many people have enjoyed the effects of physical exercise, there are so many who drop out of an activity after a very short time. So, the question that then becomes important is: "What motivates a person to stick to an exercise program?" Is it solely about the enjoyment from doing an activity one likes? Or might it have something to do with the people one associates with when participating in a certain exercise?

There are many different elements that may hinder or help exercise enjoyment. One of the major elements to help exercise is liking the people with whom one is engaging. Socialization is an important element for people whether they are engaging in a sport, work, or other type of activity. Enjoying the company of the people we are exercising with can have a great impact on motivation as well. This is why many physical trainers suggest working out with a buddy -- because it keeps a person motivated and it also makes them responsible to another person (i.e., they cannot just decide not to show up or else they will keep their friend waiting).

Other factors that may facilitate exercise are not only the enjoyment of what exercise we are doing, whom we are doing it with, but also why we are doing it. What is the main purpose? Is it simply to lose weight? Is it to become more sociable and have fun? Or is it because the doctor has recommended that we do this for our health? The reasons why one exercises can have a huge impact on motivation and so choosing an exercise activity that we actually enjoy becomes so important -- because we can improve our health and enjoy our time doing the activity as well.

Wininger and Pargman (2003) state from a study he conducted involving 282 female subjects that other factors associated with exercise enjoyment are. These variables in the study were: "satisfaction with the music used in the exercise environment, satisfaction with the exercise instructor, and salience of exercise role-identity (EIS)." In Wininger and Pargman's (2003) study, the results revealed significant positive correlations between all 3 variables and exercise enjoyment. Interestingly enough, the study showed that satisfaction with music (21%) accounted for the most variance in exercise enjoyment followed by satisfaction with the instructor (8%), and finally salience of exercise role-identity (4%) (2003).