A Comparative Study on Self-esteem, Psychological well-being and Body Image among Exercising and Non exercising Young Adults

Abstract

Physical activity plays an active role not only in improving the physical health but also the dimensions of mental well-being. Positive relations have been observed in physical activity and self-esteem, psychological well-being and body image. The aim of this study is to compare the individuals engaging in regular physical activity to those who do not engage in physical activity on the variables body image, self-esteem and psychological well-being. The present study included 100 participants out of which 61 individuals were the ones that engaged in some kind of physical activity and 39 were the ones that did not engage in any sort of physical activity. The study included young adults, both Males and Females in the age range of 18 to 35. The data was recruited from Chandigarh. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWB) (1995) and Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2) were the three scales used for the assessment.

The results of the study found that the individuals engaged in physical activity showed higher self-esteem, higher psychological well-being and higher Body image as compared with the individuals who did not engage in physical activity. These findings can help the psychologists to comprehend the psychological well-being, body image and self-esteem in the context of people who engage in physical activity and people who don't. It can also help us to understand the benefits of engaging in physical activity regularly.