howed no sig-nificant differences between groups (p a . 11) on any dependentmeasure except METS, with universal lower than track and waitlist on pre-METS score (11.34 ± 1.78, 14.32 ± 3.35, and(4.46 ±3.75, respectively), F(2, 35) = 5.24, p < .0

perceived strength, individuals participating in the weight-training program did get stronge

type of investigation may prove beneficial in the development of guidelines for promoting more favorable body image among college women with body image disturbances,

Women who exercised more than six hours a week have been found to be more discontent with their bodies than those who exercised less than six hours a week

dieting and weight concerns were greatest among athletes at the highest levels of performance, especially in athletes whose bodies are an integral part of their performance evaluation such as ice skaters, gymnasts, and ballet dancers. For many, the concern can turn into obsession.

found that women who exercised more often scored lower on the physical self-worth scale than women who did not participate in regular physical activity. Much of the research that has demonstrated the negative effects of exercise on self-perceptions has shown that over-emphasis on exercise can aggravate self-consciousness

body such as enhanced muscular strength, decreased total skinfold thickness, and increased lean body mass changes that may contribute to improvements in body image

poorest pre-training body satisfaction experienced the greatest gains in body satisfaction. The re

strength trainers demonstrated significantly greater improvements in body satisfaction than the walkers.

weight training is associated with greater positive changes in body satisfaction

to be effective in enhancing body esteem and lowering social physique anxiety. A few studies have compared the relationship of aerobic physical activity and weight training on body satisfaction

exercise may also be an especially appealing method for reducing negative body-related self-perceptions held by body-image-disturbed individuals.

found that 77% of generally slender and active women wanted to lose weight, and most were actually dietin

In fact, 95% of American women overestimate their body size by one fourth

ately 75% of Americ

there is considerable pressure for women to be thin and beautiful, and men to be muscular

ody image represents individuals' perception of their body this physical self-perception may or may not reflect reality.

41% of weight training participants displayed body image improvements such that they were no longer classified as body-image-disturbed. These results provide evidence to suggest that weight training may be an effective treatment for body image disturbance.

3.19 to 3.40

weight training as an auxiliary intervention forwomen clients who may benefit from additional methods of increasing their sense of agency andcompetence.

Conclusion

hese clients may include (but are certainly not limited to)women who have experienced sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, or abusive caregivingresulting in low self-esteem and/or self-efficacy.

t the increase in self-efficacy thataccompanies weight lifting means that strong women believe in their own physical competence,thus disconfirming the pathogenic belief that they are weak

y become physically stronger, women who lift weights may feel increasinglycompetent in the physical activities of daily life: o

ale-born people have been making convincing and powerful assaults on thecoherence of male masculinity for well over a hundred years; wha

From birth, patriarchal social structures work to shape girls’ desires about who they wantto be and to look like. These gender expectations have particular relevance to the physical body.Young women are taught to limit

clinicians and lay public readers will have a deeperunderstanding of the potential reasons why participation in weight lifting and other “gender non-conforming” activities can be empowering for women.

isogyny and homophobia are rampant in North American culture, and it is only with concertedeffort that we can combat the ways in which these forms of gender-based oppression canunintentionally seep into our clinical practice

analysis, I seek to explore the reasons for the increased sense of personal power,confidence, and agency experienced by women who participate in weight lifting.

that women have a set of very different reasons for the mentalhealth benefits they receive from participation in sports that are culturally coded as masculin

eople who participate in weight lifting receive significant psychological benefitsas well, including increased self-esteem, improved self-efficacy, reduced stress, and alleviationof depression (Dionigi & Cannon, 2013; Holloway, Beuter, & Duda, 1988; Koplas, Shilling, &Harper, 2012; Stewart, Hays, Wells, Rogers, Spritzer, & Greenfield, 1994)

physicalstrength capacity through weight liftin

social constructionist feminist theory and control-mastery theory to explain possible reasons forthese positive mental outcom

Many of these women weight liftersreport receiving psychological benefits that include improved self-confidence and self-efficac

unning andweightlifting are usually considered high-intensity activities, especiallycompared to activities such as walking or household tasks, and sports aremore likely to contain a social or communal element not inherentlypresent other activity types.

’Now thinking about your mental health, which includes stress,depression, and problems with emotions, for how many days during thepast 30 days was your mental health not good?’

Muscle-strengthening activity was calculated in the survey and wasbased on self-reported strength activity frequency per week and classi-fied into two categories: Met-muscle strengthening recommendations (>2 times per week), and did not meet muscle strengthening recommen-dations (< 2 times per week).

elf-reported height andweight measurements

Demographic characteristics assessed were age, sex, race/ethnicity,and education level. Health characteristics assessed were body massindex (BMI) category, cigarette smoking status, physical activity time,and muscle strengthening activitie

For example, ifweightlifting is a popular activity among young individuals, an inter-vention targeting this demographic that includes weightlifting exerciseswould be likely to be beneficial. For these reasons, the aim of the studyto investigate the relationship between specific types of physical activ-ities and mental health status in United States adults

A study foundthat anxiety and depression are more frequent among young athleteswho participate in individual sports than those who participate in teamsports

150-300 min of moderate-intensity aerobic

Depression is the leading cause of disability globally and a significantexercise helps improve the individual’s well-being and can be includedand used as a preventative treatment option to improve mental health(Bennie et al., 2019; Costigan et al., 2016; Mikkelsen et al., 2017). Forcontributor to the global burden of disease (World Health Organization,2021).

Running, sports, and weightlifting hadthe strongest relationships to better mental health while household tasks had the weakest,

alking (38.9%) was the most commonly reported physical activity type.

Proportional odds logistic regression

here is not enough data on how different types of physical activity participation relate tomental health.

ical activity is known to have a positive relationship with an individual’s mental health andwell-being.