The relation between physical exercise and psychological health has increasingly come under the spotlight over recent years. While the message emanating from physiological research has extolled the general advantages of exercise in terms of physical health, the equivalent psychological literature has revealed a more complex relation. The paper outlines the research evidence, focusing on the relation between physical exercise and depression, anxiety, stress responsivity, mood state, self esteem, premenstrual syndrome, and body image. Consideration is also given to the phenomena of exercise addiction and withdrawal, and implications for exercise prescription are discussed.

Researchers have yet to reach a consensus on the definition of excessive exercise, and many questions remain about the relationship between excessive exercise and eating disorders. Understanding of excessive exercise may be furthered by adoption of a broader, dimensional perspective. The current qualitative (grounded theory) study explored the continuum of women's exercise experiences, ranging from casual to more extreme regimens. Thirty-two women were interviewed, aged 16-77. Participants described stages in a continuum of exercise experiences. Overlaps were described between participant perceptions of 'normal' exercise, excessive exercise and exercise addiction. Excessive exercise and disturbed eating were described as arising from common concerns about the need to control the body, with exercise viewed as a more acceptable alternative to disturbed eating. The results provide support for a continuum approach to the understanding of excessive exercise, and highlight the utility of qualitative methods in this area.

Research has found that when mitigating information is presented prior to provocation, subsequent retaliation by the victim is reduced. However, the literature is equivocal regarding the effect of mitigation when it is presented after provocation. An examination of contradictory studies revealed the following differences among them: (a) Mitigating information was presented immediately after or several minutes after provocation and (b) victims were or were not permitted to observe additional provocations. In this study, 40 young men were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which these two factors were varied. Early mitigation reduced retaliation when it was not followed by an additional provocation, and late mitigation did not reduce subsequent retaliation. Strength of retaliation was moderately linked to judgments of consensus (attribution theory). This result supports the suggestion from other studies that mitigation may influence retaliation through an attribution process. Physiological arousal was unrelated to retaliation in this study. These physiological data were integrated with those of previous studies based on Zajonc's (1980) suggestion that the affective and cognitive systems are semi-independent and that affective responses can precede cognitive ones.

This qualitative study describes the effect of exercise on psychological well-being among individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities such as stroke, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. Eleven users of a physical disability daycentre completed a novel, six-month, group-based programme of seated exercise provided by the first author. Results from grounded analyses of in-depth interviews provide evidence that exercise offers a powerful means to actively manage mood problems associated with disability, to preserve and cultivate personal identity in a positive manner and to connect with others and one's own body in ways which limit the development of illness-related psychological distress. Implications for the development of further research and future provision of similar services are discussed.

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