The Effects of Physical Conditioning on selected Dimensions of Self Concept in Sedentary Females

Occupational therapists treat a large number of clients who maintain inactive lifestyles and who exhibit physical as well as psychological impairments. While a link is widely accepted betwcen physical and mental health, research in this area is equivocal. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that physical conditioning improves self-concept and body-satisfaction. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Body-Cathexis Scale (BCS) were administered before and after a physical training program to sedentary females. The subjects, ranging from 23-41 years of age, underwent exercise tests, were matched by age, weight, and fitness level and randomly assigned to arm-training, leg-training or control groups. The conditioning groups exercised on cycle ergometers for 6 weeks while the control group refrained from exercise. Analyses of variance conducted on three subcales of the TSCS and on the BCS revealed groups X trials interactions that were significant for the physical self and self-satisfaction subscales and nearly significant for the BCS. Changcs in the pcrsonal self subscale wcre nonsignificant. A significant correlation was found between physical self and body-cathexis but not between changcs in mean heart rate or maximum workload tolerated and changcs in physical self. The study substantiates the hypothesis that psychological gains are most apparent in people who are physically unfit, and suggests that participation in an aerobic conditioning program has psychological benefits for sedentary individuals.