Perceived Health : Is It "a Benefit" or "a Cost" of Exercise Participation?

Abstract: The objectives of this study include: (1) to examine how exercisers understand the concept of a healthy person, and how satisfied they are with their health; (2) to examine goals and reasons to exercise and the perceived importance of health to reach the goals; (3) to examine strategies both to avoid injuries, overtraining, or burnout and to strengthen health among exercisers and if exercisers put their health under risk in order to achieve their goals; (4) to examine how exercisers perceive “benefits” and “costs” of exercise participation in relation to satisfaction with health and exercise. The sample consists of 12 regular exercisers (7 men & 5 women; age: M = 25.4  5.9). A semi-structured interview guide was created for this study, and based on earlier research and the working model. The qualitative data were analysed by means of both deductive and inductive analyses and 12 category profiles have been developed. Overall exercisers showed a positive perception/attitude and perception to exercise participation and most of them pointed out their satisfaction with their health. Exercisers presented much more data related to benefits of their exercise participation than to costs. Exercisers reported that health is important for them and the majority of the exercisers never put their health at risk. The results are discussed from the point of view of the Perceived health and sport/exercise participation model. Keywords: Benefits, Costs, Exercise, Perceived health, and Satisfaction.