| Sumario: | • Participants (N = 107) were men and women aged 60+. • Participants completed an appearance or functionality-focused circuit class. • Class condition was manipulated by the focus of the cues used by the instructor. • Participants completed measures of body image, enjoyment, and intentions to return. • No significant differences were reported for any outcome measure between conditions. The use of appearance (versus functionality) cues in group exercise has been linked to negative body image outcomes in young women. This study examined the impact of appearance versus functionality-focused cues during an exercise class on state body image, enjoyment, and intentions to return to a future class, in older adults (60+ years). Participants (N = 107, M age = 69 years) completed demographic and trait body image measures at a first session and attended either an appearance or functionality-focused full-body strength-based circuit class. Participants completed pre-and post-state body image measures, and measures of enjoyment and intention to return post-class. A General Linear Model approach to a repeated measures multivariate ANCOVA was used to examine pre-to-post-class differences between conditions for state body image; trait body satisfaction with appearance and functionality, BMI, and previous group exercise experience were entered as covariates. ANCOVAs were conducted to examine differences for enjoyment, (gender, BMI, and previous group exercise experience entered as covariates) and intention to return to a similar class, (previous group exercise experience as covariate). No significant differences were found across analyses (p s >.05). These findings contrast with similar studies conducted in younger populations. Future studies should continue to examine body image in aging populations.
|
|---|