Affective and self-efficacy responses to acute exercise in sedentary postmenopausal women

Objectives: Positive psychological outcomes associated with an acute exercise bout may influence future exercise behaviour in postmenopausal women. Affective responses to exercise are influenced by many factors including self-efficacy, whereby individuals with greater self-efficacy demonstrate more positive affective responses following exercise. This study examined the psychological responses to an acute exercise bout in sedentary postmenopausal women. Methods: Twenty five (mean age 55.7±5.7yrs) participants completed a 20-minute bout of stationary cycling at 60% of VO2max. Affective responses were assessed prior to, during and immediately following exercise. Task-specific self-efficacy was also assessed prior to and immediately following exercise. Results: Participants reported significantly higher self-efficacy immediately following exercise (F(1,24) = 55.3, p = 0.00). Participants also demonstrated a significant increase in tranquillity, positive engagement and revitalisation immediately following compared to prior to and during exercise. A significant correlation was found between postexercise self-efficacy and tranquillity during exercise (r=0.486, p=0.01) and post exercise (r=0.397, p=0.05). A significant correlation was also found between post exercise self-efficacy and postexercise revitalisation (r=0.587, p=0.00) and physical exhaustion (r=-0.604, p=0.00). Conclusions: Results suggest that postmenopausal women with higher postexercise self-efficacy have greater feelings of tranquillity and revitalisation during exercise and greater feelings of tranquillity and less fatigue immediately following exercise. Giving non-exercising postmenopausal women the opportunity to successfully complete previously unfamiliar exercise activities may promote a sense of accomplishment and the perception that exercise can be an enjoyable experience