Wininger and Pargman (2003) state from a study he conducted involving 282 female subjects that other factors associated with exercise enjoyment are. These variables in the study were: "satisfaction with the music used in the exercise environment, satisfaction with the exercise instructor, and salience of exercise role-identity (EIS)." In Wininger and Pargman's (2003) study, the results revealed significant positive correlations between all 3 variables and exercise enjoyment. Interestingly enough, the study showed that satisfaction with music (21%) accounted for the most variance in exercise enjoyment followed by satisfaction with the instructor (8%), and finally salience of exercise role-identity (4%) (2003).
Exercise is known, in general, for increasing endorphins in the brain, which give us an overall sense of well-being. These important neurotransmitters are what give us a...
Endorphins can facilitate exercise simply because they make us feel good inside. The more we exercise, the more addicted (for lack of a better word) we get to that feeling and our bodies want to keep creating the endorphins. If individuals stick to an exercise regime long enough to "get over the hump" (i.e., not want to quit anymore), the pleasure that comes from exercising will only increase over time -- and once a person sees the results of this in the mirror, they will be even more motivated.
Works Cited
Hagberg, L.A., Lindahl, B., Nyberg, L., & Hellenius, M.L. "Importance of enjoyment when promoting physical exercise." Scand J. Med Sci Sports,19(5), 2009: 740-7.
Wininger, S.R. & Pargman, D. "Assessment of factors associated with exercise enjoyment." J. Music Ther,40(1), 2003: 57-73.
