title: Why do they exercise less? Barriers to exercise in high-anxiety-sensitive women.
abstract: Anxiety sensitivity (AS; fear of arousal sensations) is a risk factor for mental and physical health problems, including physical inactivity. Because of the many mental and physical health benefits of exercise, it is important to better understand why high-AS individuals may be less likely to exercise. The present study's aim was to understand the role of barriers to exercise in explaining lower levels of physical exercise in high-AS individuals. Participants were undergraduate women who were selected as high (n = 82) or low (n = 72) AS. High-AS women participated in less physical exercise and perceived themselves as less fit than low-AS women. Mediation analyses revealed that barriers to exercise accounted for the inverse relationships between AS group and physical exercise/fitness levels. Findings suggest that efforts to increase physical exercise in at-risk populations, such as high-AS individuals, should not focus exclusively on benefits to exercise but should also target reasons why these individuals are exercising less.
authors: Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. brigitte.sabourin@dal.ca
authors: Brigitte C
authors: BC
authors: Sabourin
authors: Catherine A
authors: CA
authors: Hilchey
authors: Marie-Josée
authors: MJ
authors: Lefaivre
authors: Margo C
authors: MC
authors: Watt
authors: Sherry H
authors: SH
authors: Stewart
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057566:Self Report