The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between exercise commitment, exercise addiction, and mental health in members of local fitness centers. From the members of local fitness centers, 261 questionnaires were collected, and used in...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between exercise commitment, exercise addiction, and mental health in members of local fitness centers. From the members of local fitness centers, 261 questionnaires were collected, and used in the final analysis. Collected data were analyzed by frequency analysis, reliability analysis, and exploratory factor analysis using SPSS 20.0, and confirmatory factor analysis and structure equation model analysis using LISREL 8.5. Results and implications of the analyses are as follows.
First, the exercise commitment of subjects was shown to have a positive effect on the exercise addiction. This result suggests that as the behavioral commitment, one of the lower components of the exercise commitment, increases, the lower components of exercise addiction, including withdrawal affect, conflict, attachment, and obsessive compulsive neurosis may also increase. Generally, members of local fitness centers participate in regular exercise to improve their health status, physical satisfaction, and psychological happiness. However, excessive behavioral commitment to exercise due to over-estimated self-confidence or achievement may develop into exercise addiction. Thus, members of fitness centers need to maintain proper level of behavioral commitment by adjusting the intensity and frequency of exercise to the purpose of exercise participation.
Second, the exercise commitment of subjects was shown to have a positive effect on mental health. This result suggests that as the level of behavioral commitment increases, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety/depression, hostility, and psychoticism to mental health may decrease. However, maintaining proper level of exercise commitment becomes important to stay physically and mentally healthy, since excessive exercise commitment may develop into exercise addiction.
Third, the exercise addiction of subjects was shown to have a negative effect on mental health. This result suggests that negative components of exercise addiction such as withdrawal effect, conflict, and attachment may cause problems in mental health, such as somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety/depression, hostility, and psychoticism. Since obsession in exercise and excessive participation in exercise can result in negative mental health rather than having a positive effect, active management of the exercise pattern seems to be required to prevent exercise addiction.
In conclusion, while the exercise commitment of members in local fitness centers may play a positive role in improving mental health, excessive exercise commitment can have a negative effect on mental health by inducing exercise addiction. Thus members of fitness centers are required to clearly identify their purpose of participating in exercise, and maintain proper intensity and frequency of exercise so as to achieve their personal goal.