Self Perception and Body Image in Exercise

On my ever growing wish list of books to read is one called Spark:  The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.  It was written in 2008, but the studies and conclusions from the book no doubt resonate today.  The below tidbits were pulled from this blog, one that I've posted and expanded upon before.  Some of the book's findings include:

"A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. A Finnish study of 3,403 people in 1999 showed that those who exercise at least two to three times a week experience significantly less depression, anger, stress, and "cynical distrust" than those who exercise less or not at all."

"In a landmark study affectionately called SMILE (Standard Medical Intervention and Long-term Exercise), James Blumenthal and his colleagues pitted exercise against the SSRI sertraline (Zoloft) in a sixteen-week trial… Blumenthal concluded that exercise was as effective as medication."

"Researchers tracked 8,023 people for twenty-six years, surveying them about a number of factors related to lifestyle habits and healthiness starting in 1965. They checked back in with the participants in 1974 and in 1983. Of all the people with no signs of depression at the beginning, those who became inactive over the next nine years were 1.5 times more likely to have depression by 1983 than their active counterparts." 

So, according to Spark, exercise can reduce anxiety, depression, promote social function and is just as good as popping a pill, maybe better.  For myself, I know this to be absolutely true.  I notice that on the days that I exercise I have more energy, I feel healthier, and can focus more easily on work and daily tasks.  On days that I don't exercise or are not active in any way, I'm much more reserved than I already am and find it a lot harder to muster up the energy to take my son to the park or even get off the couch and give my dog a bath.  When I am active, the simple and mundane tasks become easier, which in turn makes the big stuff a little easier as well.  At least for me.  Now, some of you might be nodding your heads while others might be a little more skeptical.  And that's fair.  So what I did last week was ask a few of my clients to write a short paragraph with their opinion on how exercise has helped them over the years, and if the above findings and my own conclusions from personal experience, make sense to them.

One client, who I've been working with for just under a year, has used exercise to tackle issues she struggled with in the past and has also used it as an outlet to enhance her own self perception, which is just as important as simply being healthy and in good shape:

"I've struggled with an eating disorder and poor body image for years. Having children and a husband, it's important for me to be healthy and whole for not only me but my family. Once I started weight and strength training to help me stay on track with diet and exercise, I started to notice a difference in my body, my energy levels, and my mood. I'm starting to see my body for more than just a number on the scale.  My body is strong and this strength motivates me to keep pushing myself to be better and to see how amazing and strong my body really is!"

Another client has used her age as motivation, along with simply looking in the mirror and wanting to look and feel better about herself.  Exercise can be a bit of a chore, perhaps, but one that can have extrinsic motivation as well:

"I know that since I got up to a certain age I have to exercise.  It's good for me mentally but I also notice that when I don't exercise on a regular basis I get aches and pains associated with age.  Self image and fitting into your clothes is my major motivation."

Staying and feeling young can be motivating as well, as my next client relates.  Or, more specifically, the feeling she gets when she exercises makes the battle against aging seem like a more even fight:

"We are all getting older everyday.  Holding on a bit to youth for me happens through diet and exercise. It makes me feel good that I am stronger, more fit, and able to ask way more of my body than I could when I was 20.  At 43, it definitely provides self esteem to ask my body to do things at a high level of intensity and see results.  The results for me are clothes that fit and a body image that I can live with while I fight the inevitable fight of aging."