The Psychology of Exercise: Integrating Theory and Practice

The Psychology of Exercise: Integrating Theory and Practice, fourth edition, continues to weave together theory, research, application, and interventions to provide readers with a solid foundation in exercise psychology. In this comprehensive, accessible, book, the authors apply prominent theories and models to actual situations encountered professionally. Compelling graphs, models, other visuals, and effective pedagogical aids further enhance the material.

The chapters in Part I help readers understand and modify exercise behavior, while those in Part II discuss psychosocial influences and the consequences of physical activity. Among the topics explored are the impact of exercise on self-perceptions, including self-esteem and body image; stress, anxiety, and depression; and emotional well-being. Chapters on the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function as well as health-related quality of life offer the latest information for these areas of study.

Features of the Fourth Edition

New streamlined chapter on self-perceptions and exercise, which combines previous chapters on self-esteem and body image. This more logical presentation of related topics makes it easier to teach these topics and better depicts their intersection.

Refocused chapter on health-related quality of life and exercise, to include more emphasis on special populations and demonstrate how exercise can benefit those who have chronic diseases, chronic disabilities, or physical limitations.

Discussions throughout on mobile devices, apps, social media, and high-tech point-of-decision and how these technologies can be used for tracking and measuring physical activity and for offering social support.

Updated references, glossary, and graphics.

Special Features of the Book

Reader-friendly price

Outstanding author team of active researchers with diverse areas of expertise

End-of-chapter review questions and learning activities to enhance understanding

Connections between theory and application throughout

Focus boxes, with additional learning activities, highlighting research on physical activity and populations with chronic disease and disability

Standardized questionnaires, including some of the most frequently used measures in exercise psychology research

Curt L. Lox, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Lox teaches courses on exercise and rehabilitation psychology, sociology of physical activity, and research methods in kinesiology. His research is focused on the psychological impact of exercise for special populations, including the elderly, overweight and obese children and adults, and individuals infected with HIV. His numerous articles have been published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Journal of Cognitive Rehabilitation, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Health Psychology, and Rehabilitation Psychology, among others. He completed his master's degree at Miami (Ohio) University and doctoral degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has coached at the youth and high school levels and continues to serve as a sport psychology consultant to players and coaches at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional levels in the greater St. Louis area.
Kathleen A. Martin Ginis, Ph.D.(University of Waterloo), is an associate professor of Health and Exercise Psychology at McMaster University's Department of Kinesiology, where her research focuses on self-related concepts such as self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-perceptions of physical attractiveness (i.e., body image) and physical ability (i.e., a dimension of health-related quality of life). She received the Young Scientist Award from the Canadian Society of Psychomotor Learning in 1995 and from the American Psychological Association in 1997. In 2001 she received the Early Distinguished Career Award from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. Her articles have appeared in such journals as Rehabilitation Psychology, the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.
Steven J. Petruzzello, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Departments of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He conducts research in the area of exercise and health psychology, particularly from a psychophysiological perspective. He is Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and a member of the Midwest Chapter of the ACSM, the Society for Psychophysiological Research, the American Psychological Society, and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. His articles have appeared in Sports Medicine, the Journal of Sport and Sport Psychology, and Psychophysiology, among others.