Lifestyle Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Scientists have uncovered a new barrier to getting fit and it’s all got to do with what plus-size women are wearing to the gym.
According to their research, ill-fitting fits are leaving some too self-conscious to work out. Getting the motivation to exercise is a struggle for everyone and we’re all guilty of finding excuses to skip a session. But for women with larger bodies there’s another obstacle that’s getting in the way.
And that’s poor quality active apparel. According to a new study , which looked into what's stopping plus-size women from working out, body surveillance (focusing on the body’s appearance over it’s function during physical activity) and social physique anxiety (the fear of how others perceive one’s body) are “significant predictors of women’s motivation to avoid exercise”. Which were maybe more obvious results, but the study also explored women’s satisfaction with plus-size activewear.
As part of the research, participants – who on average were 40.5 years old – responded to prompts about how their clothing affected their emotions during physical activity and their body image, assessing both positive and negative emotions. They also completed a Body Surveillance Subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale and were asked about their discomfort in public settings and their tendency to avoid activity due to their body im.