Exercise psychology is a relative new and emerging
subdiscipline derived from kinesiology and psychology.
Since 1965, exercise psychology has been a
primary focus in major academic organizations, the first
organization was the International Society of Sport
Psychology (ISSP), followed by the North American
Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical
Activity (NASPSPA), and European Federation of
Sport Psychology (FEPSAC). In psychology, exemplar
organizations include Division 47 of the American
Psychological Association: Society for Exercise, Sport,
and Performance Psychology. Beginning in the 1980s
and continuing to the present time, the term ‘exercise
psychology’ was added to the official journals of these
associations such as International Journal of Sport
and Exercise Psychology (IJSEP), Journal of Sport and
Exercise Psychology (JSEP), Psychology of Sport and
Exercise (PSE), and Sport, Exercise, and Performance
Psychology (SEPP), respectively.
Exercise psychology reflects the scientific study of
the human brain and behavior within diverse exercise
settings and populations, as well as the practical application
of that knowledge. Diverse exercise settings
embrace both ‘physical activity,’ defined as any bodily
movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles
that results in substantial increase in caloric requirements over resting energy expenditure, and
‘exercise,’ which is defined as a type of physical activity
consisting of planned, structured, and repetitive
bodily movements done to improve and/or maintain
one or more components of physical fitness (American
College of Sports Medicine, 2018). The study of the
human brain and behavior reflects the interdisciplinary
scope of exercise psychology that ranges from cognitive
neuroscience to social psychology. Exercise psychology
also includes an applied component that employs educational
and scientific knowledge to understand, promote,
and enhance an individual’s exercise behavior.
Exercise psychology focuses on both, the antecedents
and consequences of the exercise from a psychological
perspective (Berger, Weinerg, & Eklund, 2015). One of
two primary objectives is to understand how antecedents,
or psychological factors, influence an individual’s
exercise behavior. The main components in this
objective include physical activity epidemiology, theory
and models of exercise behavior, intervention strategies
for exercise behavior change, social influences, personal
meanings, and optimal experiences. Another primary
objective of exercise psychology is to understand
the consequences of exercise participation or how exercise
affects one’s psychological processes and mental
health. The main components of this objective include
stress, anxiety, depression, affect/mood/emotion, cognitive
function, sleep, health-related quality of life, selfperception,
and exercise dependence.
Disciplines related and sometimes overlapping with
exercise psychology include rehabilitation psychology,
health psychology, behavioral medicine, and sport psychology.
Rehabilitation psychology highlights the multiple
roles of exercise following a disabling event (e.g.,
heart attack) and the effectiveness of exercise in treating
disease. Health psychology is concerned with nutrition,
weight management, smoking cessation, and
medication adherence. Behavioral medicine focuses on
the interrelationship among behavioral, physical, and
psychosocial factors to understand and treat illness, disease,
and disability. Sport psychology focuses on
human behaviors in sport settings.
In conclusion, exercise psychology focuses on multiple
antecedents and consequences of exercise and has much
to offer to diverse segments of the world’s population
who strive to be physically active throughout their lives.
