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Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun
Arran J Davis1, Pádraig MacCarron2, Emma Cohen1,3
1Social Body Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Community exercise events boost physical health and reduce loneliness. Social rewards and support enhance enjoyment and energy, leading to faster run times without increased effort.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Psychology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Community-based exercise events are gaining interest for public health benefits.
- These events promote physical health and social connection, combating isolation and loneliness.
- Current approaches to physical activity need to better integrate social factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that social reward and support in exercise are linked to positive experiences and performance.
- To investigate the influence of social factors on enjoyment, energy, fatigue, effort, and objective performance in a UK parkrun sample.
- To explore the role of social connections in everyday health and collective physical activity.
Main Methods:
- A repeated-measures design was employed.
- Data were collected from UK parkrun participants.
- Social perceptions, behavior, subjective experiences, and objective performance (run times) were examined.
Main Results:
- Social factors were positively associated with subjective enjoyment and energy levels.
- Higher subjective energy correlated with faster run times, without increased perceived effort.
- No significant main effects of social factors on fatigue, performance, or effort were found.
Conclusions:
- Social factors, particularly enjoyment and energy derived from community support, significantly influence exercise behavior and performance.
- Greater research attention should be directed towards the psychological and social aspects of physical activity.
- Findings offer new insights into the interplay of psychological, social, and physical functions in maintaining everyday health.
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