Women who did just a single bout of exercise for 30 minutes made women feel stronger, thinner and had positive feelings about their body.

‘Poor body image can have harmful implications for a woman's psychological and physical health including increased risk for low self-esteem, depression and for eating disorders.’

Martin Ginis, along with her graduate student Lauren Salci, compared the body image and physical perceptions of women who completed 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise with those who sat and read. 




Women in the exercise group had significant improvements in their body image compared to those who didn't exercise. This positive effect lasted at least 20 minutes post-exercise. The research team further established that this effect was not due to a change in the women's mood, rather it was linked to perceiving themselves as stronger and thinner.
"We all have those days when we don't feel great about our bodies," says Martin Ginis. "This study and our previous research shows one way to feel better, is to get going and exercise. The effects can be immediate."
Martin Ginis sees this study as a gateway to developing maximally effective body image-enhancing exercise interventions.
"We think that the feelings of strength and empowerment women achieve post exercise, stimulate an improved internal dialogue," says Martin Ginis. "This in turn should generate positive thoughts and feelings about their bodies which may replace the all too common negative ones."
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