Anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and exercise identity: Differentiating between adaptive and compulsive exercise

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sports Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Psychosocial variables influencing exercise behaviors are not fully understood.
• Distinguishing between compulsive and adaptive exercise is crucial for mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the associations of exercise identity, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction with compulsive and adaptive exercise.
• To determine which psychosocial construct uniquely predicts compulsive and adaptive exercise.

Main Methods:

• Online survey completed by 446 participants.
• Assessed compulsive exercise, adaptive exercise, body dissatisfaction, exercise identity, and anxiety.
• Utilized multiple linear regression and dominance analyses.

Main Results:

• Exercise identity, body dissatisfaction, and anxiety were linked to compulsive exercise.
• Exercise identity and anxiety were linked to adaptive exercise.
• Exercise identity was the strongest predictor for both compulsive (R²=0.27) and adaptive exercise (R²=0.45).

Conclusions:

• Exercise identity is a key factor in both compulsive and adaptive exercise.
• A combination of exercise identity, body dissatisfaction, and anxiety may elevate the risk of compulsive exercise.
• Integrating exercise identity into interventions could help reduce compulsive exercise.