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33FACTORS DETERMINING SELF-ESTEEM OF WOMEN PRACTISING SPORT IN FITNESS CLUBS
Anna Romanowska-Tolloczko, Aleksander Smolinski University School of Physical Education Poland, Wroclaw
Annotation. Classes in fitness clubs have become a popular and easily available form of doing sport. More and more people become aware that looking after health is tightly connected with sport. Apart from many somatic benefits, fitness training implies also psychological advantages. The aim of the undertaken research was to establish women’s main motives for taking up physical activity in fitness clubs. Another goal was to determine the level of self-esteem and its determining factors. The main motives for participating in fitness classes appear to be: a desire for slim and fit body, looking after health and general well-being, as well as a wish to lose weight. The achieved results reveal that the majority of the surveyed women possess a proper level of self-esteem. However, a large number of women express also understated level of self-esteem.
Keywords: motivation, self-esteem, women, fitness training, health.
Анотація. Романовська-Толлочко Ганна, Смолинські Олександр. Фактори, що визначають почуття власного достоїнства жінок, що займаються спортом у фітнес клубах. Заняття у фітнес клубах стали популярною й легко доступною формою занять спортом. Усе більше людей довідаються, що турбота про здоров’я сильно зв’язана зі спортом. Крім багатьох соматичних вигід, фітнес-тренинг має на увазі також психологічні переваги. Ціль початого дослідження полягала в тому, щоб з’ясувати основні мотиви, що спонукують жінок підвищувати рухову активність у фітнес клубах. Також, визначити рівень почуття власної гідності і його фактори. Основними мотивами в заняттях фітнесом є бажання мати струнке тіло, турбота про здоров’я, загальний добробут і бажання схуднути. Досягнуті результати показують, що більшість жінок має високий рівень почуття власної гідності. Однак, велика кількість жінок також применшували рівень почуття власної гідності. Ключові слова: спонукання, почуття власної гідності, жінки, фітнес-тренинг, здоров’я.
Аннотация. Романовска-Толлочко Анна, Смолински Александр. Факторы, определяющие чувство собственного достоинства женщин, занимающихся спортом в фитнесс клубах. Занятия в фитнесс клубах стали популярной и легко доступной формой занятий спортом. Все более люди узнают, что забота о здоровье сильно связана со спортом. Кроме многих соматических выгод, фитнесс-тренинг подразумевает также психологические преимущества. Цель предпринятого исследования состояла в том, чтобы выяснить основные мотивы, побуждающие женщин повышать двигательную активность в фитнесс клубах. Также, определить уровень чувства собственного достоинства и его факторы. Основными мотивами в занятиях фитнессом является желание иметь стройное тело, забота о здоровье, общем благосостоянии и желании похудеть. Достигнутые результаты показывают, что большинство женщин обладает высоким уровнем чувства собственного достоинства. Однако, большое количество женщин также преуменьшали уровень чувства собственного достоинства. Ключевые слова: побуждение, чувство собственного достоинства, женщины, фитнесс-тренинг, здоровье.
Introduction
Classes in fitness clubs have become a popular and, most of all, easily available form of doing sport.
More and more people become aware that looking after health is tightly connected with sport, hence the number of fitness club customers is increasing.
There are new forms and modifications of classes involving physical movement. Due to this fact the classes can be chosen according to one’s personal needs and preferences. All activities aim at providing good posture, shaping body and increasing physical efficiency. They also give a sense of satisfaction and contentment [1].
Fitness training has manifold influences on our lives: physical, psychological, social, emotional and kinaesthetic ones [2].
Regular and appropriately selected physical exercises lead not only to better condition and relaxation, but also to slim body, which is particularly important for women [6].
Apart from many somatic advantages of fitness training, psychological benefits seem to be equally important. Such training plays an important role in relieving stress and, indirectly, in building self-esteem.
An individual’s self-esteem results, to a large degree, from the way a person evaluates him or herself. Self-esteem in psychology is defined as a generalized attitude to one’s self which affects a person’s mood and has a strong impact on certain range of personal and social behaviours. It’s a set of opinions and judgements which an individual has about him or herself. Such opinions and judgements are concerned with physical, psychological and social values [3].
Psychologist distinguish two types of attitudes connected with general self-esteem: self-acceptance and self-rejection. Self-acceptance implies faith, trust and healthy self-respect. Due to these qualities individuals are able to realise their potential capabilities and also to correct their behaviour under the influence of other people. Individuals who accept themselves have a positive opinion about themselves and sustain a good mood. Self-rejection is understood as an attitude towards one’s self connected with the sense of injustice, quilt and inferiority, or the feeling of grievance and resentment toward oneself. Such individuals do no appreciate their own successes and are likely to overstate own failures. They have a tendency to humiliate or even hate themselves [4].
The objectives, methodology of the research.
The aim of the undertaken research was to establish the women’s main motives for taking up physical activity in fitness clubs as well as assessing the level and the conditions shaping their self-esteem.
The survey research was conducted in 2007 in three fitness clubs in Wroclaw. For the purposes of the research the following survey tools were used: a survey constructed by the authors of the article and a self-esteem questionnaire by L. Niebrzydowski [3], the norms to which were worked out in the Department of Psychology in University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw. The research group was selected at random and consisted of 152 women at the age from 18 to 55.
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The group comprised both working and studying women 57% of whom completed secondary and 43% higher education.
Results of the research
Most surveyed women have proper weight (61%); 22% are slightly overweight while the remaining 17% exceed the proper weight by 10-15 kg.
All overweight respondents are discontented with their weight. However, such discontent is also expressed by women possessing proper weight, who are conscious of a weight norm and want to be even slimmer. 13% of women belong to this group.
The majority of the respondents (83%) pay a significant attention to nutrition. Nearly a half of them (43%) look for healthy food and try to keep a well-balanced diet. Over a third (3 5%) of women are constantly on a weigh-loss diet. The remaining persons (22%) do not attach much importance to the quality of meals. About 2/3 of the group (59%) has used or are still using various herbal or synthetic weigh-reducing substances.
The next issue of interest were the women’s motives for taking up physical activity in a fitness club. For the majority of women (73%) the main aim was possessing a slim and well-shaped body. Equally important are the health factors such as: well functioning body and well-being, which appeared to be motivating factors for over a half of the respondents (56%). Over 1/3 of women (35%) want to lose weight, 30% aim at gaining good shape and physical condition; for 27% of respondents regular exercise gives a possibility to relief everyday stress and is a good way of relaxation.
The majority of women find a large variety of classes in fitness clubs and their quality satisfying. However, 18% of women, mainly those over the age of 45, express the need for more traditional exercise, which is not provided by fitness clubs nowadays.
The next issue was the level of self-esteem presented by the women. The respondents’ opinions and their intensity about themselves in terms of positive and negative features was analysed.
Both in case of positive and negative features mostly average results were obtained. The remaining results in the category of positive features were high, while in the category of negative features - low. Having analysed the results, it can be stated that the majority of women (63%) express an adequate level of self-esteem, while 24% understate their self-esteem. The smallest group, i.e. 13%, possesses overstated level of self-esteem.
The achieved results differ from the norm as there is 11% more women with low self-esteem than those with the high level. It suggests lack of self-acceptance, which may result from dissatisfaction with the respondent’s appearance. It is noteworthy that among the persons with low self-esteem there are mainly overweight women. Still, in the group there are also 7% of women with proper weight. Similar results were obtained earlier [5], which indicates a tendency to form a picture of one’s own self mainly on the basis of accepting or
rejecting own appearance.
Conclusions
On the basis of the achieved results it can be stated that the respondents’ awareness about active and healthy lifestyle is high. They understand that looking after health and attractive appearance is tightly connected with physical activity, which should be consciously introduced to everyday lifestyle.
The researched group of women who do sport in fitness clubs aims at achieving two aims. Middle-aged and elderly women do exercise mainly to improve their health, keep fit and maintain their well-being. Younger women are usually driven by esthetic reasons: improving shape and losing excess weight.
The classes offered by fitness clubs better suit younger women. Older persons express the need for more traditional forms of exercise, which are unfortunately scarce nowadays.
As far as self-esteem is concern, the results indicate that the majority of women possess an adequate level of self-esteem. The groups of women with too low or too high self-esteem were less numerous, still, there were more respondents with too low level of self-esteem than those with too high one. Relatively large number of women expressing negative opinion about themselves is alarming. It suggests that they are highly critical about themselves, which leads to general lack of selfacceptance. Appearance and physical condition are two of the factors influencing the way individuals perceive themselves, however, it is disturbing that these two features are dominant. An ideal female appearance is conditioned by fashion which created an image of a very slim and attractive woman and a lot of women try to achieve the perfect appearance, using various, not always healthy, means. Crash diets and weight-reducing substances often cause more harm than good, they ruin life and make women feel guilty that they are not able to reach and maintain a perfect body.
The conducted research indicates that in case of women the influence of physical conditions on selfesteem is often too overwhelming and reduces the significance of other spheres of personality.
Bibliography:
1. Kuzminska O., Aerobik - taniec czy gimnastyka. Sport i Tu-rystyka, Warszawa, 1985.
2. Niebrzydowski L., O poznawaniu i ocenie samego siebie. Warszawa, 1976.
3. Olex-Mierzejewska D., Fitness.Teoretyczne i metodyczne pod-stawy prowadzenia zaj^c. Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego, Katowice, 2002.
4. Reykowski J.,Osobowosc a spoleczne zachowanie si$ ludzi. Warszawa,1990.
5. Romanowska-Tolloczko A., Bartusiak I., Fitness - droga ku zdrowiu i poczuciu wartosci. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska Sect. D Med., vol.LXII, SUPPL.XVII, N. 7, Lublin, 2007
6. Szot Z., Aerobik. Teoria, technika wykonania, metodyka nauc-zania, przepisy s^dziowania”, Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego i Sportu, Gdansk, 2002.
Came to edition 03.09.2007.
