Effects of Exercise Motivation and Frequency on Mental Health in Women and Men

Abstract

It has been widely known that exercise can improve physical health by decreasing the probability of certain illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. There are fewer experiments substantiating the correlation between exercise and mental health though. This article focuses on analyzing gender differences in motivation and frequency in popular team sports through qualitative analysis and literature review, as well as the influences of these differences on mental health. There are experiments on similar topics, but few literature reviews compare motivation and frequency between genders in exercise while applying the difference to mental health. Therefore, this article focuses on using multiple conclusions from previous research and analysis for a deeper application and meaning. Ultimately, this paper concludes that women are more likely to exercise for health, fitness, and weight loss, while men are more likely to exercise for health, fitness, and enjoyment. There is not a significant difference between women and men in terms of frequency of exercise, but women in general have a lower degree of satisfaction with their quality of life than men do.