Exercise Dependence, Affect, And Preferred Weight Of Female Exercisers

Abstract

Regular exercise offers many benefits, but some individuals may develop a dependency on exercise to continue receiving these benefits, such as affect regulation or attaining a preferred weight. PURPOSE: To examine associations among exercise dependence, affect, and current and preferred weight of female exercisers who hire personal trainers. METHODS: Female exercisers (n=39; 47+13 yrs; 167+36 lbs) who hire personal trainers at fitness centers in the Midwest completed the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). A separate questionnaire collected demographic and exercise information as well as perceptions about their personal trainer. A difference score between their current and preferred weight (C-PW) was also created. Pearson correlations were used to identify predictor variables that were related (p < .10) to the exercise dependence score, and these predictor variables were included in a backward multiple regression with the exercise dependence score as the criterion variable. RESULTS: The exercise dependence score was related to positive affect (r = .33 p < .05) negative affect (NA: r = .29, p = .07), C-PW (r = -.45 p < .01), current weight (r = -.31, p = .05), minutes per week exercising without their personal trainer (ExwoT: r = .37, p < .05), and the extent they followed their personal trainer’s suggestions for exercise (r = .36, p < .05). Regression results indicated a final model of three predictors (NA, C-PW, ExwoT) for the exercise dependence score, R2 = .45, R2adj = .41, F(3,35) = 9.36, p < .001. The unstandardized and standardized coefficients are provided in parentheses for NA (1.169, .335, p < .001), C-PW (-.195, -.343, p < .05), and ExwoT (.046, .431, p < .01). CONCLUSION: Female exercisers with more negative affect who were closer to their preferred weight and exercised more without their personal trainer were found to have higher exercise dependence scores. Thus, female exercisers may be using exercise as a means to self-regulate negative affect, and as they get closer to their preferred weight, they exercise more than what they do with their trainer. Personal trainers and exercisers should be aware because as women become more tolerant of exercise, this behavior may lead to clinically significant issues.