Invited Guest Editorial: Envisioning the next fifty years of research on the exercise–affect relationship
Section snippets
Landmark achievements
The main focus of research on affective responses to exercise until the last decade or so was on mental health. Findings of a “feel-better” effect resulting from bouts of exercise were seen as having possible implications for the application of exercise in the treatment of such mental health problems as psychosocial stress, anxiety, and mood disorders (e.g., depression). The importance of this research remains self-evident. Particularly given the incorporation of physical activity in clinical
Envisioning an expanded research agenda
Nearly 30 years after his initial call to the nascent field of exercise psychology to make affective responses to exercise one of its focal issues, Morgan (1997) reassessed the state of the research, stating that “there is no need for further research or reviews dealing with the question of whether or not physical activity results in improved mood… There are, however, many questions that remain unanswered, and these questions will hopefully be addressed in the decade ahead” (p. 230). More than
Conclusion
A lot has happened since Morgan's (1968) call to the nascent field of exercise psychology to examine the influence of exercise on the affective domain. Although a lot certainly remains to be done, researchers should heed Morgan's (1997) advice, issued thirty years later, that “there is no need for further research or reviews dealing with the question of whether or not physical activity results in improved mood” (p. 230). As demonstrated in this review, research has since moved in several new
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Exploring determinants of recalled in-task affective valence during recreational exercise
2021, Physiology and BehaviorA systematic review of the within-person association between physical activity and affect in children's and adolescents' daily lives
2021, Psychology of Sport and ExerciseCitation Excerpt :As well as having the potential to predict future physical activity participation through implicit attitudes and hedonic motivation, affect experienced during physical activity is hypothesised to be a mechanism that may explain the association between physical activity and mental health outcomes in young people (Lubans et al., 2016). Potential improvements in affect associated with participating in physical activity, or the “feel better” effect, helps explain how physical activity may prevent or treat common mental health disorders including anxiety and depression (Ekkekakis et al., 2013). Therefore, understanding the affect that children and adolescents experience during physical activity may also help understand the mental health benefits of participation in physical activity in young people.