Self-Compassion and Reactions to a Recalled Exercise Lapse: The Moderating Role of Gender-Role Schemas

Abstract

Exercise is good for health and well-being, yet people experience lapses when trying to adhere to exercise. Self-compassion may help people cope with exercise lapses. Most research on self-compassion and exercise has been conducted with women; men may also benefit from self-compassion. No research has examined whether gender-role schema influences responses to exercise lapses. The authors examined both male and female adult exercisers (N = 220) who reported their self-compassion, recalled an exercise lapse, their reactions to the lapse, and their self-identification of masculinity and femininity. After controlling for self-esteem, age, and lapse importance, self-compassion negatively related to emotional responses (p < .001), rumination (p < .001), extrinsic motivation (p = .004), and positively related to intrinsic motivation (p < .001). Masculinity moderated the relationships between self-compassion and amotivation (p = .006), and identified regulation (p = .01). Self-compassion may be an effective resource for exercisers, especially those who identify as highly masculine.

Self-Compassion and Physical Activity: The Underpinning Role of Psychological Distress and Barrier Self-Efficacy

“…In support of this view, more recently, Signore et al [14] replicated Semenchuk et al's study in a larger and gender-balanced sample (n = 220). The findings support emotional regulation and motivational benefits of self-compassion in those who experienced exercise lapses or setbacks [14]. Interestingly, Signore et al found that individuals high in masculinity particularly benefit from self-compassion in establishing the identified regulation of exercise and preventing amotivation-probably due to masculinity being a risk factor for emotional dysregulation in sport and exercise contexts and thus more prominently protected by self-compassion [28,29].…”

“…They further reasoned and explained the findings, suggesting that self-compassion can help an individual embrace setbacks in exercise, reduce emotional and maladaptive responses, and thus enhance motivation and self-regulation of exercise [26,27]. In support of this view, more recently, Signore et al [14] replicated Semenchuk et al's study in a larger and gender-balanced sample (n = 220). The findings support emotional regulation and motivational benefits of self-compassion in those who experienced exercise lapses or setbacks [14].…”

“…Figure 1 delineates the conceptual model we tested in this study. The study will extend the literature [14,15], generate new knowledge of the association between self-compassion and actual physical activity levels, and provide an important, novel understanding of underpinning psycho-behavioural mechanisms of the association between one's self-compassion and physical activity levels.…”

“…This was supported by our data that the indirect effect of self-compassion was greater on MVPA than that on light physical activity and sedentary behaviour. A possible explanation is that self-compassion helps an individual to overcome barriers and recuperate from exercise-related setbacks [14,15], and one may be more susceptible to challenges, barriers, or potential setbacks when engaging in more vigorous physical activity (e.g., experiencing fatigue, difficulty in generating motivation, injury). Also, one may be more susceptible to challenges when motivating oneself to start and complete a challenging, vigorous PA episode or session, and adopting a self-compassionate mind may allow one to accept these challenges with a gentler mind, thus enhancing the capacity to overcome them.…”

“…Therefore, one may see personality as more of a 'moderator' rather than a proximal 'influencer' of physical activity [12,13]. In this context, an important yet overlooked self-concept or dispositional characteristic that has the potential to be nurtured and can be a driving source for physical activity is self-compassion [14][15][16][17].…”