Applied Health Fitness Psychology considers behavioral issues regarding exercise and nutrition using a research-to-practice approach. This comprehensive text explains how health fitness psychology has emerged from other parent disciplines to become a wide-ranging discipline that can be addressed in various exercise, fitness, and health settings, allowing both current and future professionals to assist their patients or clients in adopting healthier lifestyles.
Applied Health Fitness Psychology uses contributions from sport and exercise psychology, counseling and clinical psychology, exercise science, sports medicine, and behavioral medicine to provide a scientific basis for presenting strategies for behavior change. Unique to this text is a critical consideration of cultural, spiritual, and religious components as a factor in initiating and maintaining exercise behavior. The evidence-based approach will help readers use techniques and interventions that promote positive changes among various populations.
Students will grasp the scope of this emerging field by studying the following topics:
- The theoretical foundation of health behavior change and motivational theories
- Physical, cognitive, and motivational obstacles to adopting a healthy lifestyle
- Use of cognitive and behavioral strategies and interventions to promote exercise adherence, set goals, and improve fitness and exercise performance
- Steps that will help students become professionals in health fitness psychology
- Considerations in working with special populations, such as older adults, pregnant women, individuals recovering from injuries, and individuals with chronic conditions or dysfunctional eating behaviors
Chapter objectives at the start and a summary, review of key concepts, and student activity at the end of each chapter help students and instructors stay focused on understanding the main concepts and putting this information into practice. Highlight boxes, tables, and figures throughout the book keep readers engaged with the material. From Research to Real World sidebars show students how the information in the text can be used in multiple professions and illustrate the many applications for health fitness psychology in today's society. For instructors, Applied Health Fitness Psychology includes online access to a presentation package and test package.
While modifying a person's--or a culture's--disdain for exercise will not happen quickly, Applied Health Fitness Psychology equips aspiring and practicing professionals working in a variety of health, fitness, and allied health fields with strategies to help people make the shift to more active and healthy lifestyles.
About the Author: Mark H. Anshel, PhD, is a professor in the department of health and human performance with a joint appointment in the psychology department at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. He is the author of more than 135 research publications, four fitness books, and multiple editions of the text Sport Psychology: From Theory to Practice. His research since 2007 has concerned the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral model on exercise participation and adherence called the Disconnected Values Model. Anshel is recognized as an international leader in providing evidence-based programs and linking research with practice in the areas of exercise and fitness psychology and sport psychology.
Over the course of his career, Anshel has gained hands-on experience consulting with more than 3,000 clients on healthy habits, particularly the use of exercise. His practical career experience began with seven years as a fitness director in community recreation. From 2000 to 2002 Anshel served as a performance coach at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Florida, where he provided corporate clients with a cognitive-behavioral program on replacing unhealthy habits with more desirable lifestyle routines. He also served as a performance consultant and researcher related to improving wellness and coping skills with the Murfreesboro Police Department from 2005 to 2011.
In 2009, Anshel was awarded the Distinguished Research Scholar Award from Middle Tennessee State University. Anshel is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 47, Exercise and Sport Psychology). He is the founder and director of the Middle Tennessee State University Employee Health and Wellness Program, which received grant funding of $130,000 over two years. Anshel also served for 10 years on the editorial board of the Journal of Sport Behavior.
In his free time, Anshel enjoys jogging, writing on health-related topics, and reading current events and health-related research. He resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
