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Regular physical exercise contributes to marked reductions in psychosocial stress, the enhancing of positive affect and well-being. However, affect can be measured as high (e.g., engaged) or low (e.g., content) activation affect. To ascertain further these interactions, we examined the relationship between exercise frequency (i.e., how often an individual engages in physical activities) and affect and Psychological Well-Being (PWB). We investigate this relationship in the context of individuals' gender, age, psychosomatic symptoms (i.e., headaches, pain in shoulders, neck or other parts of the body), sleeping problems, smoking habits, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Moreover, we also investigate if the relationship between exercise frequency and affect differs depending on the dimension of affect (low or high activation). In Study 1 (N = 635), 2 (N = 311), and 3 (N = 135) high activation positive affect (PA) predicted frequently exercising, while high activation negative affect (NA) predicted being less physically active. Moreover, high activation PA was negatively related to smoking habits and to how often the participant had sleeping problems. Finally, the relationship between frequently exercising and high activation affect was still present when controlling for age, occupation and gender. Moreover, in Study 2, high activation PA remained strongly related to exercise frequency even when we controlled for BMI. In Study 3, frequent physical activity was also related to PWB. In Study 4, participants (N = 150) self-reported low activation affect. All findings in regard to exercise frequency were replicated, with the exception of the relationship to affect. Psychological resources (i.e., PWB), the frequent experience of PA, together with the infrequent experience of NA may provide for the facilitation of an exercise regime and healthy behavior. Thus, regular physical exercise remains as a health-ensuring necessity over age, gender, and occupation. Nevertheless, high activation positive affect should be in focus.Keywords: Affect; BMI; Exercise; Health; Negative Affect; Positive Affect; Sleeping Problems; Smoking; Psychosomatic Symptoms IntroductionRegular physical exercise has been described as a planned, structured physical activity which fulfills the purpose of improving one or more aspects of physical fitness and functional capacity (Morris & Schoo, 2004), encompassing bodily activeties that enhance/maintain physical fitness, with frequent and regular exercise boosting the immune system (Kurth, Moore, Gaziano, Kase, Stampfer, Berger, & Buring, 2006). The regularity of physical exercise is, for instance, associated to individuals who experience high positive affect (PA) and low negative affect (NA;Norlander, Bood, & Archer, 2002). In turn, frequently exercising is associated with mental health, facilitating the prevention of depression and anxiety, as well as the promotion and maintenance of positive self-esteem in both adolescents (Rees & Sabia, 2010;Rothon, Edwards, Bhui, Viner, Taylor, & Stansfeld, 2010) and adults...

This study sought to examine the role of belonging in the increases in resilience observed following an adventure education programme (AEP). First, we demonstrate that group belonging makes a significant contribution to the improvement in resilience participants' experienced over the course of the AEP. Second, we demonstrate that this increase in resilience is maintained 9 months following the AEP and that group belonging maintained a significant contribution when controlling for participants' initial resilience level and other psychosocial variables (i.e., centrality of identity and social support). Our findings accord well with recent research on the Social Cure or Social Identity Approach to Health and add to a growing body of work identifying the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

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Background: Performance monitoring might have an adverse influence on call center agents' well-being. We investigate how performance, over a 6-month period, is related to agents' perceptions of their learning climate, character strengths, well-being (subjective and psychological), and physical activity.Method: Agents (N = 135) self-reported perception of the learning climate (Learning Climate Questionnaire), character strengths (Values In Action Inventory Short Version), well-being (Positive Affect, Negative Affect Schedule, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scales Short Version), and how often/intensively they engaged in physical activity. Performance, “time on the phone,” was monitored for 6 consecutive months by the same system handling the calls.Results: Performance was positively related to having opportunities to develop, the character strengths clusters of Wisdom and Knowledge (e.g., curiosity for learning, perspective) and Temperance (e.g., having self-control, being prudent, humble, and modest), and exercise frequency. Performance was negatively related to the sense of autonomy and responsibility, contentedness, the character strengths clusters of Humanity and Love (e.g., helping others, cooperation) and Justice (e.g., affiliation, fairness, leadership), positive affect, life satisfaction and exercise Intensity.Conclusion: Call centers may need to create opportunities to develop to increase agents' performance and focus on individual differences in the recruitment and selection of agents to prevent future shortcomings or worker dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, performance measurement in call centers may need to include other aspects that are more attuned with different character strengths. After all, allowing individuals to put their strengths at work should empower the individual and at the end the organization itself. Finally, physical activity enhancement programs might offer considerable positive work outcomes.