A 10 Week Study to Determine the Effects of Live Vs Virtual Delivery of Transitions Program on Body Image

Home exercise regimens and digital streaming of exercise programs have become increasingly popular. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a 10 week delivery of in-person versus virtual delivery of the WELLBEATS™ Transitions group exercise class on body image. The study was conducted with sedentary women between the ages of 40 and 65 who volunteered for the study. The results indicated that a repeated measures GLM revealed a significant multivariate within group effect for participation in both exercise programs (pre-posttest), Wilks’ λ = .335, F (10, 30) = 5.96, p <. 001, partial eta squared = .665 indicating that participation in Transitions Live and Virtual fitness exercise programs impact participants’ perceptions on body image, body weight, eating issues, and physical appearance. Based on the findings in the current study either an in-person or virtual exercise program lasting 10 weeks can have a positive impact on body image in sedentary middle-aged women.

Keywords:Body Image; Exercise; Virtual

Abbreviations:MBSRQ: Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire