An enjoyable distraction during exercise augments the positive effects of exercise on mood

The hypothesis that an enjoyable distraction during exercise will augment the intensity of positive mood post-exercise was tested. a sample of 84 undergraduate students rated their mood and arousal before and after a standardized exercise,which consisted of walking on a treadmill at a pace of 3.6 mph for 10 minutes. during the work out session,participants watched the same television show,which they previously rated as enjoyable,or not enjoyable. as added controls,a third group exercised with no distraction (the tv was turned off); a fourth group did not exercise,but watched the television show. the results showed that exercise alone was sufficient to increase pleasant mood (95% ci 0.61,1.46) and that including an enjoyable distraction during exercise significantly augmented pleasant mood compared to all other groups (95% ci 1.58,2.99; r2 = 0.29). these results show that the enjoyment of a distraction is a key factor that can augment the intensity of positive mood following exercise. © journal of sports science and medicine.