Effects of Physical Exercise on Resources Evaluation, Body Self-Concept and Well-Being Among Older Adults

This study addressed the effects of a 14-week moderate physical activity program on resources evaluation, body self-concept and other health-related psychological variables among older adults. In a quasi-experimental design participants were divided into three groups and completed questionnaires twice, before ( t 1) and after ( t 2) the 14-week program. The experimental group participated in a supervised mixed exercise program of moderate intensity. The placebo attention control group took part in a foreign language course. The no intervention control group did not get any intervention/attention at all. The dependent variables were resources evaluation, body self-concept, trait anxiety, and psychosomatic complaints. Using the pretest data as covariates multivariate analyses of covariance revealed significant improvements in body self-concept in the experimental group compared to the control groups. No other significant differences could be detected. Results point to the positive effects of exercise on body self-concept even among older adults.

Keywords:

• Aging
• Physical Exercise
• Self-concept