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Awareness of the importance of exercise and physical activity to long-term health has never been greater. In the United States alone, 200,000 deaths annually are attributed to coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, colon cancer, and other diseases that result from physical inactivity. Growing evidence also suggests that inactivity is also a contributor to poor mental health.

Despite this awareness, physical activity remains below recommended levels in developed countries around the world. Only one-fourth of the adult population in the United States exercises at levels high enough to maintain cardiorespiratory fitness and to reduce the risk of premature death.

Exercise Psychology provides an in-depth examination of the psychological antecedents and consequences of physical activity relationships, helping the reader to understand the mental health benefits of exercise as well as the thought processes behind the decision to exercise or not to exercise.

Features of the book include
-chapters that are organized around key topics related to the mental health benefits of physical activity;

-varying degrees of depth on subjects, making it easy for students at different levels of familiarity and sophistication to successfully grasp the concepts in the book;

-research, ranging from biological psychology to social psychology, to give the reader a fuller understanding of the subject, which allows the book to serve as the sole source for a course;

-over 100 photos and illustrations that effectively demonstrate difficult concepts; and

-key points highlighted throughout the text to emphasize main ideas and to aid the reader in learning the material.
Most sport and exercise psychology textbooks focus mainly on enhancing sport performance and provide minimal emphasis on mental health aspects of leisure-time physical activity and the problem of adopting and maintaining a regular exercise program. This text digs deep into the subject of exercise psychology, covering it from its beginnings in the late 1960s through the most current research.

Part I , "Introduction and Basic Concepts," provides a historical look at the field, defines the basic concepts and approaches used, and offers a basic discussion of behavioral neuroscience.

Part II , "Exercise and Mental Health," covers six separate topics related to mental health concerns and provides descriptive and experimental evidence of the benefits that physical activity provides in combating psychological distress.

Part III , "Psychology of Physical Activity Behavior," examines the determinants of physical activity behavior, theories of behavior change, interventions used in increasing physical activity, and perceived exertion.

Exercise Psychology fills the void left by sport psychology textbooks. It is the most up-to-date and complete textbook available on exercise psychology, and it is perfect for any sport and exercise psychology course.