Appearance-based exercise motivation moderates the relationship between exercise frequency and positive body image

• We explored links between appearance motivation, exercise, and positive body image.
• Appearance motivation weakened the exercise and body appreciation link.
• Appearance motivation weakened the exercise and internal body orientation link.
• Appearance motivation weakened the exercise and functional body satisfaction link.
• Exercising for appearance reasons should be discouraged for positive body image.

Individuals with a positive body image appreciate their bodies, hold an internal perspective of their bodies, and are satisfied with the functionality of their bodies. Research shows that positive body image is more complex than the absence of body dissatisfaction. Although exercise reduces women's body dissatisfaction, very little research has explored how, or even whether, exercise is associated with positive body image. Therefore, we examined whether exercise frequency was positively related to three aspects of positive body image (body appreciation, internal body orientation, and functional body satisfaction) among 321 college women. Appearance-based exercise motivation (the extent exercise is pursued to influence weight or shape) was hypothesized to moderate these associations. Hierarchical moderated regression analyses showed that exercise frequency was related to higher positive body image, but high levels of appearance-based exercise motivation weakened these relationships. Thus, messages promoting exercise need to de-emphasize weight loss and appearance for positive body image.