Psychology of the Brain in Exercise - Essay Example

 Psychology of the Brain in Exercise: Functions, Structures, Heredity and Environment Introduction Committing oneself to some type of exercise program can be a hard road to better health which takes a determined outlook on what the goals and objectives for attaining better health are. It is clear that in today’s society, less young people are engaging in exercise programs or some type of sport which helps their bodies become stronger. How exercise affects the mind is another component of good health. In some instances, over-exercising can be just as damaging as not exercising at all and usually indicates another factor at work, such as an addiction to attaining perfection. Understanding the mental components for both sides, a normal perspective and a disorder, is the basis for this paper. Mind as the motivator Motivation, in some form, is the primary factor for getting involved in nearly any type of exercise regime. One way to look at motivation is to discern what hypothetical states or factors provide the basis for engaging in exercise routines. These are usually seen in needs, drives, and incentives. Needs, in a physiological sense, are found more in the necessity for eating, drinking, breathing air, vitamins and minerals, anything which sustains us and which our body indicates we are lacking at one point or another, as in being hungry or thirsty (Rathus, 1996). In a psychological sense, needs would be reflected by wanting to achieve the highest level of physical perfection, such as always being able to throw the ball into the hoop every time, running the fastest of anyone else down the football field, or as a ballerina, to execute 32 fouettés in the Black Swan pas de deux in the ballet “Swan Lake.” Attaining any one of these goals previously listed, require a daily routine of exercise not found in most exercise programs for normal children and adults (Rathus, 1996). Drive is derived from the need to achieve the goal of eating or drinking, or to gain the highest level of athletic perfection and endurance. Drive is the psychological aspect of motivation and it also increase the longer the need is still in place. Therefore, we can be driven to find food because of extreme hunger, or we can be driven to get into the sports field to practice harder toward the goal of being the fastest runner (Rathus, 1996). Incentive is the third part of the puzzle and for those engaged in sports or ballet, incentive is finally attaining those goals that were set at the beginning of the event. Food was finally found and eaten, thus making the body feel much better. Or, a football player makes it to the goal line with the football before getting tackled, now finds himself congratulated and admired for his success. The ballerina completes her 32 fouettés during performance and the crowd goes wild, standing on their feet and applauding her efforts. Both find extreme satisfaction because of their success from all the hard work they’ve put into achieving strength in the body (Rathus, 1996). This can also be looked at as primary drives which cause people to go out and find food to eat. The sociocultural component is where the drive is based on attaining success in one’s field of athletic prowess and the person is (temporarily) set above all others as a special person. Influences of heredity and environment While many males prefer football and basketball, or some other sport, to engage in as a method of exercise and to attain success, not all will achieve the goal of being professional players. While dedicated to the exercise program, the influence of body shape will also determine whether a male will make it to professional level or not. Some bodies are not built to endure such exercise programs required to gain a sufficient level of endurance and this is reflected through heredity factors such as not being tall enough or, perhaps, strong enough because of the skeletal makeup from the father and mother which is subsequently reflected in numerous injuries (Rathus, 1996). In can also be that where one lives is not conducive to engage in such a regime. This can be a matter of living in a family that looks down on sports, or that the city where the male lives, is located in a high air pollution area which means only indoor sports are available. The additional factor is that psychologically, a male may also not have the temperament or aggressiveness to play sports either which can be both a biological factor as well as a sociocultural issue too, dependent on his surrounding cultural environment. Crossing over the line: Healthy versus abnormal While exercise is generally good for nearly everybody’s physical health levels, there are consequences for those who move past the healthy level and become addicted to exercise. In many cases, this is seen often in the ballet where female dancers may engage in more exercise than is given during a daily workout at school or in a professional ballet company. There can also be an association of eating disorders along with addictive exercising, which is particularly true of females, and is often seen with female ballet dancers (Youngman, 2007). The tendency here is that those committed to exercise routines, fit that into their lives. Those with addiction to exercise, organized their lives to fit the exercise routines and everything (and everyone) else, came second or third (Youngman, 2007). Those who are addicted have at least two symptoms when not engaged in exercise for whatever reasons: a preoccupation with the activity, and immediate withdrawal symptoms shortly after stopping for more than their usual break span between exercise schedules. Some would experience anxiety and trouble getting to sleep or stay asleep (Hausenblas & Symons Downs, 2002; Youngman, 2007). Conclusion In cases of addiction, it is always about trying to achieve a certain goal, whether it be the perfect sports physique or to appear thinner, as in the case of many ballerinas. Therefore, exercising more means losing weight and therefore, satisfying a certain social image of perfection as seen in sports and ballet. Resources Hausenblas, H. A., & Symons Downs, D. (2002). Exercise dependence: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 3, 89-123. Rathus, S.A. (1996). Psychology in the new millennium. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Sternberg, R.J. (1998). In search of the human mind. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Youngman, J.D. (2007). Risk for exercise addiction: A comparison of triathletes training for sprint, Olympic, half-ironman, and ironman-distance triathlons. Open Access Dissertations, 12. University of Miami. Retrieved from Read More