Physical activity, specifically exercising, has been suggested to improve body image, mental health, and well-being. With respect to body image, previous findings highlight a general benefit of exercise. This study investigates whether the relationship between exercising and body image varies with the type of exercise that individuals preferentially and regularly engage in. In addition, physical efficacy was explored as a potential psychological mediator between type of exercise and body image. Using a cross-sectional design, healthy regular exercise practitioners of yoga, ballroom dance, team sports, or individual sports as well as healthy adults reporting no regular exercising were surveyed. Body image and its different facets were assessed by a set of standardized self-report questionnaires, covering perceptual, cognitive, and affective body image dimensions particularly related to negative body image. In addition, participants were questioned with regard to mental health. Participants were 270 healthy adults. Descriptive statistics, measures of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analysis with orthogonal contrasts were performed to investigate differences between the different exercise and non-exercise groups in the variables of interest. In line with the hypotheses and previous findings, the statistic comparisons revealed that body dissatisfaction (as one important factor of negative body image) was most pronounced in the non-exercise group compared to all exercise groups [contrast: no exercise versus exercise (all groups taken together)]. Physical efficacy, as assessed with a standardized questionnaire, mediated the difference between type of exercise (using contrasts) and body image including perceptual, cognitive, and affective body image dimensions. The findings shed light on so far less systematically investigated questions regarding the relationship between types of exercise, like yoga and ballroom dance, and body image. The results underscore the relevance of considering possible influencing factors in exercise research, such as the perception of one’s physical efficacy as a mediator of this relationship.

Objectives: This scoping review explored the associations between physical activity, sport, and body image. Design: Scoping review. Method: The studies were identified and selected using broad search criteria using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO via Ovid and CINAHL, Gender Studies and Sport Discus via EBSCO, from January 1, 2008 up to May 15, 2018 for English peer-reviewed publications. A rigorous evaluation following specific exclusion criteria ensued and 210 publications (182 quantitative, 26 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods studies) were indexed and summarized using frequency counts. Results: The studies were focused exclusively on sport (14.8%) or physical activity (defined as structured or leisure; 85.2%). The majority of the quantitative studies (58.2%) focused on the relationship between physical activity or sport and body image whereas 41.8% explored how body image was either a protective factor or deterrent for physical activity or sport participation. Four qualitative studies specifically examined the intersection of physical activity or sport and body image experiences. Based on the frequency of reported findings in the journal articles, participation in physical activity and sport was related to less negative and more positive body image. Negative body image was linked to lower physical activity and sport participation and was discussed qualitatively as a barrier to participation. Positive body image was associated with greater participation in physical activity and sport. There was no empirical focus on the bi-directional and reciprocal associations between physical activity or sport and body image, thus precluding any causal conclusions. Conclusions: Future research is needed using integrative conceptual frameworks and research designs that emphasize and delineate the causal, bi-directional, and reciprocal associations between body image and physical activity and sport behaviors.

To reduce the number of sedentary people, an improved understanding of effects of exercise in this specific group is needed. The present project investigates the impact of regular aerobic exercise uptake on body image, and how this effect is associated with differences in interoceptive abilities and affective response to exercise. Participants were 29 sedentary adults who underwent a 12-week aerobic physical activity intervention comprised of 30–36 sessions. Body image was improved with large effect sizes. Correlations were observed between affective response to physical activity and body image improvement, but not with interoceptive abilities. Explorative mediation models suggest a neglectable role of a priori interoceptive abilities. Instead, body image improvement was achieved when positive valence was assigned to interoceptive cues experienced during exercise.

In contemporary society, physical appearance significantly influences individuals' social interactions and career achievements. Although some studies suggest that physical exercise may positively impact physical appearance, most rely on subjective self-assessment data. In contrast, third-party evaluations are widely regarded as more objective and reliable. Thus, this study aims to explore the effects of physical exercise on physical appearance, as assessed by third-party evaluations, and to examine its heterogeneity.This study utilized third-party physical appearance evaluation data from 25,460 respondents in the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and assessed the impact of physical exercise on physical appearance using multiple linear regression and instrumental variable analysis. Furthermore, the heterogeneity in the effects of physical exercise was investigated using subgroup regression and quantile regression analyses.The findings indicate that physical exercise substantially enhances physical appearance, with its effects varying significantly across different populations. Specifically, women, urban residents, and those with lower appearance scores experience more pronounced enhancement from physical exercise compared to men, rural residents, and those with higher scores. Additionally, the effect of age on the impact of physical exercise on appearance exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship. Middle-aged adults (40-59 years) experience the most significant improvements, while benefits are lower for adolescents (10-20 years), young adults (20-39 years), and older adults (60-80 years).This study systematically reveals the positive impact of physical exercise on physical appearance, demonstrating that regular exercise can significantly enhance individual appearance scores. This finding contributes to a broader understanding of the multifaceted benefits of physical exercise.© 2024. The Author(s).

Scholars have long been interested in exchange and matching (assortative mating) in romantic partner selection. But many analyses of exchange, particularly those that examine beauty and socioeconomic status, fail to control for partners’ tendency to match each other on these traits. Because desirable traits in mates are positively correlated between partners and within individuals, ignoring matching may exaggerate evidence of cross-trait beauty-status exchange. Moreover, many prior analyses assume a gendered exchange in which women trade beauty for men’s status, without testing whether men might use handsomeness to attract higher-status women. Nor have prior analyses fully investigated how the prevalence of beauty-status exchange varies between different types of couples. I use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Romantic Pair Sample, a large ( N = 1,507), nationally representative probability sample of dating, cohabiting, and married couples, to investigate how often romantic partners exchange physical attractiveness and socioeconomic status, net of matching on these traits. I find that controlling for matching eliminates nearly all evidence of beauty-status exchange. The discussion focuses on the contexts in which beauty-status exchange is most likely and on implications these results have for market-based and sociobiological theories of partner selection.

Physical attractiveness is increasingly framed as a meritocratic good that involves individual benefits, such as higher wages or success in the partner market. Investing in one’s physical appearance is thereby seen as a means to increase one’s human capital. While the positive effects are well documented, its counterpart, the dark side of physical appearance, has received much less attention from social science research. This article sheds light on the negative effects of physical appearance using a theoretical framework based on the cultural sociology of Bourdieu, integrating both structure and agency perspectives. Using data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) from 2014, we demonstrate that unattractiveness is socially stratified by economic, cultural, and social capital. The article highlights the relevance of cultural factors (e.g. forms of cultural capital and cultural practices) for the analysis of the interplay between physical appearance and stratification as well as the relevance of physical appearance for cultural sociology.

Rewarding beauty has never fallen out of vogue in human history. Attractive people enjoy many social and economic advantages. This study aims to investigate the relationship between physical attractiveness and depression and its potential mechanism among Chinese residents. A population-based data including 12,172 Chinese adults from 3 waves of CFPS (2012, 2016, 2020) were used. Moderated-mediation models were utilized to assess the mediation effect of unfair experiences and the moderation effect of socioeconomic-status (SES), in the linkage between physical attractiveness and depression. Firstly, our results demonstrated that physical attractiveness is negatively associated with depression. Secondly, the effect of unfair experiences as a mediator between physical attractiveness and depression is statistically significant. Lastly, socioeconomic status (SES) performs a crucial moderating role. Among Chinese residents, the mitigating effect of physical attractiveness on unfair experiences and depression would be stronger among those with a lower SES compared to those with a higher SES.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic predisposition, environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and physical activity influence skin quality. Regular exercise has well-documented benefits for skin physiology, including enhanced microcirculation, improved collagen synthesis, oxidative stress reduction, and modulation of inflammatory pathways. However, individual responses to physical activity vary significantly, depending on skin type, age, fitness level, and environmental exposures. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities for tailoring exercise programs to meet individual skin health needs. Wearable sensors and smart fitness devices provide real-time data on physiological responses (e.g., heart rate, sweat rate, and oxidative stress) and environmental parameters (e.g., UV exposure and pollution levels). AI algorithms process this data to create dynamic, adaptive exercise routines designed to maximize skin benefits while minimizing potential harm (e.g., exercise-induced oxidative stress in sensitive skin types). This review synthesizes the current evidence on the skin benefits of exercise while exploring the emerging role of AI-driven personalized physical activity as a novel tool in cosmetic dermatology. Integrating AI into fitness planning, personalized, non-invasive skincare strategies may complement traditional topical and procedural approaches, representing a step forward in precision dermatology.

Background: The National Health Interview Survey is unique among US federal surveillance systems with over 20 years of consistent assessment of muscle-strengthening and aerobic activity. The authors examined trends in the prevalence of US adults who met the muscle-strengthening (2 or more days per week) and the combined muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity (at least 150 min/wk of moderate-intensity equivalent activity) guidelines from 1998 to 2018. Methods: The 1998–2018 National Health Interview Survey data were analyzed. Age-adjusted prevalence of meeting the muscle-strengthening and combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines by selected respondent characteristics were estimated for each year and linear and higher-order trends were assessed. Results: From 1998 to 2018, prevalence of meeting the muscle-strengthening guideline increased from 17.7% to 27.6%, and meeting the combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines increased from 14.4% to 24.0%. All subgroups demonstrated significant increases in meeting both guideline measures over this period although trends varied across the 21 years; increasing trends were more commonly sustained in the second decade of monitoring. Conclusions: Although increasing trends in prevalence of meeting the muscle-strengthening and combined guidelines are encouraging, current prevalence estimates remain low. Opportunities exist for the continued promotion of muscle-strengthening activity using evidence-based approaches.

We examine the growing number of studies of survey respondents' global self-ratings of health as predictors of mortality in longitudinal studies of representative community samples. Twenty-seven studies in U.S. and international journals show impressively consistent findings. Global self-rated health is an independent predictor of mortality in nearly all of the studies, despite the inclusion of numerous specific health status indicators and other relevant covariates known to predict mortality. We summarize and review these studies, consider various interpretations which could account for the association, and suggest several approaches to the next stage of research in this field.

Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness-expanding the body in physical space-was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.

在心理学和其他社科研究领域, 大量实证文章建立中介效应模型, 以分析自变量对因变量的影响过程和作用机制。检验中介效应最流行的方法是Baron和Kenny的逐步法, 但近年来不断受到批评和质疑, 有人甚至呼吁停止使用其中的依次检验, 改用目前普遍认为比较好的Bootstrap法直接检验系数乘积。本文对相关的议题做了辨析, 并讨论了中介分析中建立因果关系的方法。综合新近的研究成果, 总结出一个中介效应分析流程, 并分别给出显变量和潜变量Mplus程序。最后介绍了中介效应模型的发展。

Body weight, shape and body image were assessed in 16 males and 18 females before and after both 6 x 40 mins exercise and 6 x 40 mins reading. Over both conditions, body weight and shape did not change. Various aspects of body image, however, improved after exercise compared to before, while no changes were found over reading. These findings have implications for exercise promotion where a possible role for body image in exercise adherence is suggested, and confirm current theories of body image, where changes in body image are mediated by body perceptions as opposed to actual body indices.

The aim of this study is to examine whether sport involvement i.e. identification with the domain of sports affect satisfaction with body image in men and women. 158 respondents from a tertiary educational institution provided data on their satisfaction with their body image, level of sport involvement, and level of physical activity. Independent t-tests were conducted to compare differences between and within genders. Female respondents (n=40) who were high in sport involvement reported a significantly lower level of dissatisfaction with their body image (M=.55, SD=.78) when compared to female respondents (n=44) who were low in sport involvement (M=.84, SD=.83; t=1.65, p<.05). There was no significant difference amongst male respondents. There was also no significant difference in satisfaction with body image across groups with varying levels of physical activity. This suggests that being involved in sport can affect body image satisfaction amongst females.

Factors associated with skin moisture retention include age and lifestyle, such as diet and sleep efficiency. However, the impact of exercise habits on skin moisturising function is unclear. We surveyed 86 participants from a Japanese university about their activity levels using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We also examined their skin moisturising function, measuring stratum corneum (SC) hydration levels and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Comparisons of participants' activity levels, SC hydration, and TEWL, accounting for their gender and age differences, revealed activity levels significantly related to differences in SC hydration levels. Results of multiple comparisons showed increased activity relates to significantly higher SC hydration - the higher the activity levels, the higher the hydration. No difference was found in TEWL. The results suggest exercise habits can prevent dry skin. The findings may be useful for the prevention and treatment of dry skin and promoting the benefits of exercise.©Copyright: the Author(s).

The purpose of this study was to learn how physical activity, anxiety, resilience and engagement can influence optimism in older adults. An observational, quantitative, descriptive and transversal design was used with non-probabilistic sampling. A descriptive statistical analysis of the sample, Cronbach’s alpha test of internal consistency and linear correlation using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) were performed. In addition, a t-Student test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kolmogorov–Smirnov test of normality and Levene test of homogeneity, as well as a multivariate linear regression model, were conducted. Participants who had not engaged in physical activity showed an increased total anxiety and significantly greater decrease in concentration compared to those who had engaged in physical activity. The Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and resilience of participants who had not engaged in physical activity were significantly lower than those of the participants who had engaged in physical activity. Those with a partner showed significantly lower decreases in concentration compared to single women. Regarding UWES, the current scores and dedication of couples were significantly higher than singles, as for resilience. In addition, the levels of pessimism in participants living on the coast were significantly higher compared to those living inland; in addition, a greater number of days with less anxiety is seen in those who performed physical activity. A multivariate linear regression model, F(7, 349) = 30.6, p < 0.001, explained 38% of the variance of LOT-R; those attending a public center had a lower LOT-R than those who did not, and high values of anxiety were associated with low levels of LOT-R, while high values of resilience were associated with high values of LOT-R. The results from the study provide support for future programs for older adults, in order to be able to determine in a much more precise way the objectives of programs intended for users of this age group.