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The relationship between social physique anxiety (SPA) and physical activity has been inconsistent, with studies showing positive, negative, and no relationship between them. The present study investigated whether self-presentational efficacy moderated the relationship between SPA and physical activity behaviour in university students, as it does in other samples. University students (208 women and 125 men) completed measures of SPE, trait SPA, and moderate-vigorous physical activity. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed no evidence of moderation. For women, both self-presentational efficacy expectancy (SPEE) and self-presentational outcome value positively predicted moderate-vigorous physical activity, with efficacy expectancy accounting for greater variance. For men, only SPEE was a significant predictor. It may be effective to increase SPEE in university students to encourage greater physical activity.

Recent exercise imagery findings suggest that past research in this field has been shortsighted and has severely curtailed progress in this important area. The authors provide a conceptual framework that focuses on how imagery may impact exercise behavior. This model expands our current knowledge of exercise imagery to suggest how it may function as an effective intervention to increase exercise behavior.

Imagery plays important motivational and cognitive roles in exercise and may be useful in enhancing exercise adherence [1, 2]. Furthermore, imagery use reflects the motives people have for engaging in exercise [3]. Previous exercise imagery studies have focused on younger adults. The purposes of the present study were (a) to compare imagery use in older and younger adult exercisers, and (b) to determine if gender influences the imagery used by these exercisers. Participants (N= 330) completed the Exercise Imagery Questionnaire [2], which measures appearance, technique and energy imagery. Results showed that overall both younger and older exercisers used significantly more appearance imagery than technique and energy imagery. In addition, younger exercisers used more appearance imagery than their older counterparts. Gender did not influence imagery use. Implications for imagery intervention strategies aimed at increasing exercise adherence are discussed.