Affective Response to Exercise and Preferred Exercise Intensity Among Adolescents

Abstract

Background Little information exists as to the exercise intensity that adolescents enjoy and whether identifiable subgroups of adolescents will choose higher-intensity exercise. Methods Healthy adolescents (N = 74; mean age = 11.09) completed a cardiorespiratory fitness test, a moderate-intensity exercise task, and an exercise task at an intensity that felt “good”. Heart rate (HR), work rate (WR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed every 3 minutes. Results During the “feels good” task, adolescents exercised at a HR recognized as beneficial for cardiovascular health (Mean HR = 66-72% of HR at VO2peak). Adolescents who experienced a positive affective shift during the moderate-intensity task engaged in higher-intensity exercise during the “feels-good” task as compared to those whose affective response to moderate-intensity exercise was neutral or negative (76% of peak HR vs. 70% of peak HR, p < .01).There was no difference between groups in RPE. Conclusions Adolescents tend to select an exercise intensity associated with fitness benefits when afforded the opportunity to choose an intensity that feels good. An identified subgroup engaged in higher-intensity exercise without a commensurate perception of working harder. Encouraging adolescents to exercise at an intensity that feels “good” may increase future exercise without sacrificing fitness.

In the Zone: An Exploration of Personal Characteristics Underlying Affective Responses to Heavy Exercise

“…Present results also lend support to the implementation of affect-regulated exercise, which has been cited as a viable way in which to minimise feelings of displeasure during exercise (Parfitt, Alrumh, & Rowlands, 2012). Recent evidence has demonstrated that exercising at an intensity that feels 'good' leads to a meaningful intensity for cardiovascular benefits (Schneider & Schmalbach, 2015) across active (Hutchinson et al, 2018) and sedentary populations (Hamlyn-Williams, Tempest, Coombs, & Parfitt, 2015). Affect-regulated exercise offers an easily implementable way for individuals to regulate their exercise intensity per their individual preference while ensuring a pleasant experience.…”

The influence of self-selected music on affect-regulated exercise intensity and remembered pleasure during treadmill running.

“…Affect-regulated exercise offers an easily implementable way for individuals to regulate their exercise intensity while ensuring a pleasant experience. Preliminary evidence has demonstrated that exercising at an intensity that feels 'good' leads to a meaningful intensity for cardiovascular benefits and is a strategy that can be implemented by sedentary adults in ecologically valid settings (Hamlyn- Williams, Tempest, Coombs, & Parfitt, 2015) and by adolescents (Schneider & Schmalbach, 2015).…”

Intrinsic Motivation Mediates the Association Between Exercise-Associated Affect and Physical Activity Among Adolescents

“…The method used in this study to gauge individuals’ affective response to moderate-intensity exercise has been used previously in our lab and has shown evidence of external validity among older adolescents; more positive affective responses were positively correlated with average daily time spent in MVPA as measured by accelerometry ( Schneider et al, 2009 ). Data from a subset of participants in the present study sample provided further evidence of external validity in that affective responses were predictive of chosen work-rate on the “feels good” task but not predictive of Ratings of Perceived Exertion ( Schneider and Schmalbach, 2014 ). Evidence for the substantive validity of the assessment within the present study sample includes a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.97 across the individual ratings of the Feeling Scale every 3 min and a positive correlation between the summary affective response score and a Feeling Scale rating provided immediately upon the conclusion of the cardiorespiratory fitness test ( r = 0.63, p < 0.001).…”