What Do Women Want From Physical Activity

The results of many self reported studies suggest that cooperative (versus competitive) sports enhances girls’ physical ability self-concept and physical appearance self-concept, where competitive programs normally associated with sports and boys lowered them.

Young adolescent females are not concerned with winning at any cost when they are participating in competitive activities and they are not concerned with making someone else look bad; they are interested in developing their own capacities to the maximum.

Findings also suggest that having fun was the number one reason for girls to participate in physical activity and that skill development was one of the top three reasons for girl’s participation. It is further suggested that if aim was taken away from winning and concerned with skill development there would be a positive effect on perceived competence levels, an important predictor of attraction to physical activity for both sexes.

An overwhelming majority of the girls said it was more important to them to have fun than win, but there were some who wanted both. They wanted to win and have fun, but when they talked of success their answers reflected the importance of having fun whether they were to win or lose. Part of the fun for the girls was found in team spirit and meeting new friends.

What are the takeaways

It is important to understand that women are interested in developing their skills to the maximum. They are interested in having fun whether they win or lose; fun being partially been defined by team spirit and meeting new friends.  Cooperative (versus competitive) physical activity enhances female physical ability self-concept and physical appearance self-concept and the support of positive role models, peers and families starts with girls involvement in physical activity at a young age.

Affirming the research

In my experience working with women as a coach, personal trainer and psychotherapist the research is pretty dead on. When women don’t get these elements: skill, fun, socialization and cooperation during their physical activity they are inclined to drop out. Women try to do what they think is the ‘right thing’ i.e. hop on the treadmill and lift those weights partially because that’s what they understand they are supposed to do and partially because that is the extent of knowledge for many personal trainers; instead of having a conversation with women clients around what they like to do.

Clients story

I’ve been working with a client who, when she first came to see me was at a gym on the treadmill and doing the weight machines. She hated it. I asked her why she was doing those things. She said because that is what she thought she needed to do to lose weight.

I asked her what she liked to do. Was there an activity that she enjoyed, maybe it was something from her childhood. She said that she loved to rollerblade. I asked her why she wasn’t rollerblading. She said she didn’t think that it was the right activity to help her lose weight. We talked about why she felt this way and I suggested that she do a little digging around to find out whether or not that information was true.

My client came back for her next session with a huge smile on face. As it turned out she had false information about the benefits of rollerblading and was very excited to learn that she could reach her weight loss goals through rollerblading; doing what she loved and with friends.

She is now rollerblading 3 times a week with a group of friends and has lost a good amount of the weight she is trying to lose but she is having fun doing it.

Attach people to what they love, have fun with and have been successful at no matter when or what it is!

Have a super week!

Dr. Michelle

Photo credit: Ed Yourdon