Affective responses to exercise: Measurement considerations for practicing professionals

Abstract

We provide guidance for the measurement of affective responses to exercise for practicing professionals. Affective responses include the pleasure and displeasure experienced before, during, and after acute bouts of exercise. Example vignettes at the beginning and end of the chapter provide illustrations of contrasting measurement approaches. In this chapter, we briefly describe hedonic theory applied to exercise behavior. Then we distinguish between the similar, but distinct, psychological constructs of core affect, emotion, and mood before discussing measurement considerations, including measure selection, timing and measurement frequency, individual variability, and the importance of neutral measurement technique. Next, we provide guidance for the measurement of remembered pleasure and forecasted pleasure. Finally, we present a hypothetical example using improved measurement techniques to illustrate how concepts from this chapter can be applied to a realistic scenario. Readers can apply this chapter to diverse settings, including, but not limited to, personal training, coaching, wellness programs, cardiac rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.