Examination of the relationship between exercise addiction, social appearance and life satisfaction

Changing dynamics in society can affect the lifestyles of individual people. Especially in modern life, individuals find it important how they look physically. The motivations of individuals while exhibiting exercise behaviors, the psychological aspect of these behaviors and the effect of the behavior on the quality of life and psychological health of individuals as a result of the transformation of the behavior into addiction by moving away from functionality is a very remarkable issue. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine the relationships between exercise addiction, social appearance anxiety and life satisfaction in the context of demographic variables in individuals who exercise regularly. Within the scope of the study, data obtained from 393 adult individuals living in Istanbul and exercising regularly were used. In the study where quantitative research method was adopted, relational survey model was used. Exercise Addiction Scale (EIS), Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) and Adult Satisfaction with Life Scale (ASLS) were used as data collection tools and t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses were applied to reach the findings in the data set. The findings showed that there were positive correlations between exercise addiction and social appearance anxiety and generally positive but low level significant correlations between exercise addiction and life satisfaction. A significant negative relationship was found between social appearance anxiety and life satisfaction. In addition, it was found that exercise addiction levels of male individuals were significantly higher than female individuals and there was no statistically significant difference between social appearance anxiety and gender variable. As a result, it was observed that the psychological dynamics of exercise behavior are effective on the individual's social appearance anxiety and life satisfaction and that the variables have multidirectional relationships with each other. Accordingly, it is recommended to increase preventive practices that draw attention to the balance between body perception, social expectations and healthy life practices. Keywords: Exercise addiction, social appearance anxiety, life satisfaction, behavioral addiction, body image.