, improvements in depression and anxiety, and an increased sense of social support ( Fasczewski et al., 2018 ; Martin, 2013 ). Group fitness, in particular, has demonstrated important psychosocial outcomes including social connectedness/feelings of community which can contribute to increased physical effort and
Search Results
Development and Pilot Testing of the Disability Awareness Training and Education Program Among Community-Based Group Fitness Instructors
Brynn Adamson, Mina Woo, Toni Liechty, Chung-Yi Chiu, Nic Wyatt, Cailey Cranny, and Laura Rice
Tone it Down: How Fitness Instructors’ Motivational Comments Shape Women’s Body Satisfaction
Renee Engeln, Margaret Shavlik, and Colleen Daly
physical activities ( Segar, Spruijt-Metz, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2006 ). Objectifying Cues in Fitness Classes Multiple aspects of group fitness classes could contribute to self-objectification in women. First, fitness classes present environments riddled with opportunities for social comparison, as students
Exploring Empowerment for Sexual Assault Victims in Women’s Only Group Fitness
Amy N. Cole and Sarah Ullrich-French
Empowerment is a complex, multidimensional construct that has been criticized for its overuse and definitional dilution; however, the value and importance of empowering marginalized groups such as women and victims of sexual assault remains salient. The present study explores how participation in a women’s only fitness class can empower women who are victims of sexual violence. Using cross-sectional data from a larger evaluation project of Pink Gloves Boxing (PGB), several constructs (e.g., self-efficacy for exercise, empowerment in exercise, and perceptions of autonomy support) were measured to capture empowerment as operationalized in Cattaneo and Chapman’s (2010) and Cattaneo and Goodman’s (2015) Empowerment Process Model. Multiple Indicator, Multiple Cause structural equation modeling was used to examine differences in empowerment outcomes among women in a convenience sample (N = 149) of women in PGB and traditional fitness classes. Comparisons were made based on their sexual victimization experience and their participation in either PGB or traditional group fitness classes. Results revealed that women in PGB who had been victimized were more empowered than victims (γ = -0.38, p < .01) and nonvictims (γ = -0.24, p < .05) in traditional fitness classes. There were no significant differences among women in PGB, regardless of victimization. Implications for the empowering benefits of women’s only physical activity participation for victims of sexual assault are discussed.
Instructors’ Perceptions and Experiences of Teaching Online Exercise Classes to Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
Matthieu Dagenais, Aleksandra Krajnovic, Sarah Galway, and Kimberley Gammage
. Additional components within group fitness classes, including music, may also influence motivation and enjoyment during group exercise ( Terry et al., 2020 ). In a recent review of physical activity preferences for those 65 years and older, Amireault et al. ( 2019 ) reported mixed findings regarding social
General Mindfulness Differentially Predicted by Male and Female Exercisers’ Perceptions of Motivational Climate and Goal Orientations
Kristen Lucas and E. Whitney G. Moore
activities. Furthermore, Conn ( 2010 ) specifically called for research examining the effect of group exercise on individuals’ mindfulness given the positive social interactions that occur in groups. Thus, we hypothesized that when group fitness classes promote an optimal motivational climate (i
Motivation to Join and Adhere to SilverSneakers Among Older Adults
Stacy Goddard, Barbara Bushman, and Michael Chamberlin
The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the reasons why older adults begin attending SilverSneakers exercise program and why they continue to participate. Participants completed a survey (104 complete surveys). Initial attendance was mainly due to SilverSneakers being a health insurance benefit or hearing from a friend, with a lower percentage hearing from a health care provider. Factors that encouraged ongoing attendance included the level of programming, liking the instructor, and working out with peers. Statistically significant relationships were found between long-term adherence and a desire to promote fitness (p = .024) and social aspects of SilverSneakers (p < .01). These insights can be of value when planning outreach to older adults, as well as to promote retention, with physical activity programming.
Embodying Industrial Knowledge: An Epistemological Approach to the Formation of Body Knowledge in the Fitness Industry
Jaana Parviainen
important to explore how and why some forms of practical knowledge become more valued than others and to ask who defines what is important in the work context of group fitness instructors. Epistemological approaches to physical activity easily ignore the regulations and rules of the business-driven context
Chasing Rx: A Spatial Ethnography of the CrossFit Gym
Matt C. Crockett and Ted Butryn
CrossFit is a group fitness program that incorporates a variety of weightlifting and gymnastic movements performed at a fast pace ( Glassman, 2007 ). In slightly over a decade, the program has exploded from one gym in Santa Cruz, Calif., into a network of over 10,000 affiliated facilities worldwide
Implementing Service-Learning Through a Community-Based Fitness Program
Lisa G. Johnson and Birgitta L. Baker
Louisiana State University’s School of Kinesiology has partnered with the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Fitness Center in Baton Rouge, LA since 2003 offering our fitness studies concentration majors a unique service-learning experience. The center is located in a community with citizens battling many health issues, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, with limited access and resources that promote a heathy lifestyle. Students enrolled in a senior capstone course work with the community members in the Sensational Seniors fitness program. This fitness program addresses some of those needs by providing a variety of group exercise sessions promoting overall health and longevity for the participants. Our students are able to apply theoretical concepts learned in lectures and laboratories to address public health concerns in a real-life setting. The students lead group fitness activities, monitor blood pressures, and disseminate appropriate and updated health and exercise information for the seniors.
All about Having Fun: Women’s Experience of Zumba Fitness
Tanya Nieri and Elizabeth Hughes
This study explored women’s subjective experience of Zumba, a new, popular form of group fitness. We interviewed 41 racially/ethnically diverse adult women from the Los Angeles/Inland Empire (California) area who had taken Zumba in the previous year. The women reported taking Zumba for the purpose of exercise and did not challenge the notion that exercise is imperative. However, they reported positive experiences of Zumba, contrasting it with other fitness forms, which they characterized as boring, stressful, painful, lonely, and/or atomistic, and with other dancing, which they characterized as more restrictive. They perceived Zumba to prioritize fun over work and process over outcomes; value individual autonomy and personalization rather than strict conformity; and engage the participant as more than just a body to be shaped. They felt freer to engage in behavior that is considered to violate structural gender norms, but their experience did not translate to an explicit challenge to the gender structure.
