Confident People are More Fitby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 10 Mar 2009 02:16 PM A new study claims the more confident you are, the more likely you are to engage in physical fitness activities. Canadian researchers studied more than 5,000 locals between the ages of 15-79 and found that people who have high self-esteem are in better shape than those who have poor self-perception. The study concluded that psychological factors are the most important barriers to an active lifestyle. Study participants, who were categorized as "confident," said that they participated in a total of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity three or four times a week, and a total of an hour of light exercise daily. According to researchers, confidence had the most effect on physical activity. They also found perceived health benefits and barriers, facility availability, education level, and family income were related to physical activity. "Confidence in one's personal ability to carry out exercise plays a central role in the direction, intensity and persistence of health behavior change," the researchers wrote. What's more, the study found that people who have higher confidence "will perceive fewer barriers to [physical activity], or be less influenced by them, and will be more likely to enjoy" exercising. Researchers say their findings illustrate a clear need for health promotion programs to "enhance people's confidence and motivation, as well as providing education on the health benefits of physical activity." The study's authors say, ideally, they would like to see fitness programs be tailored to enhance people's confidence, so that they are able and fit enough to engage in physical activity. Researchers maintain that if confidence can be enhanced, then people will be more motivated to be active. The study makes sense to me given that a person who is in good shape is obviously going to feel more confident than an individual who is struggling with his weight. The confidence begets the physical activity, which begets a better body, which begets higher self-esteem. Are you a confident individual? How much exercise do you get on a weekly basis? Related Articles: Creating an Affordable Fitness Plan More Tips on Staying Fit During the Winter How to Make Workouts a Priority During the Winter How Often Do You Use Your Home Gym? Bad Things Happen When You Stop Going to the Gym Staying Ahead of Your New Year's Fitness Resolutions Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags parenting | family | Kids | holidays | weight loss | Food | pregnancy | relationships | children | ideas User Comments  Angel Lynn Diamond (224) 10 Mar 2009 07:29 PMI totally agree. The problem lies in getting started. Once you have that underway and have begun to lose weight, the more apt you are to stick with it and continue on. This will, of course, only increase your self-confidence as you become more fit. Personally speaking, the more weight that I lost the better I felt because I knew that I also looked better than I previously had. It motivates you to keep going. It is just so difficult for many to get started and I understand that feeling also.  Michele Cheplic |
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