Throwing the mountains into the lakes: On the perils of nomothetic conceptions of the exercise-affect relationship

Traditional conceptions of the exercise-affect relationship postulate that moderate-intensity exercise leads to positive affective changes in all or m ost individuals. and rt can, therefore, be prescribed for all individuals i nvolved in exercise programs. This study investigated whether this assumpti on is true, not only at the level of group averages but also at the level o f individuals. affect was assessed before, during, and after a session of m oderate-intensity cycle ergometry using a dimensional conceptualization of affect. Examination of individual responses revealed a diversity of pattern s that was masked by aggregate-based analyses. Mean ratings of affective va lence were shown to remain stable during exercise, but in actuality almost half of the individuals experienced progressive improvement, whereas the ot her half experienced progressive deterioration. The diversity of individual affective responses must be taken into account in formulating conceptual m odels of the exercise-affect relationship and deriving public health physic al activity recommendations.