Abstract
Women consistently report lower levels physical activity engagement compared to men. Experiences of distress within physical activity may be one reason for this gender disparity. Self-compassion, a positive way of coping with distress, may be one method for women to combat experiences of distress in physical activity. Indeed, self-compassion has been linked to greater physical activity behaviour, but most studies have explored these relationships cross-sectionally and only between-persons. Further, limited research has examined motivational perspectives of self-compassion, in favour of emotion regulation perspectives, which precludes understandings of how compassionate self-responding in physical activity (i.e., self-compassion assessed as a motivational strategy) may be related to women’s physical activity behavior. As such, the current study examined the unique contribution of day-to-day within-person variability in compassionate self-responding in physical activity and physical activity behaviour. Using a 15-day daily diary study design, participants (N = 163 women) completed measures of compassionate self-responding in physical activity and physical activity behaviour once per day. Results suggested that on days when women reported higher than usual compassionate self-responding in physical activity, there was no significant association with daily or subsequent physical activity behaviour. Nevertheless, there was significant variation in the slopes for compassionate self-responding in physical activity in relation to physical activity behaviour, indicating there was an individual-level pattern in the compassionate self-responding in physical activity and physical activity behaviour association. Taken together, findings indicate that women’s compassionate self-responding in physical activity may have distinct trait- and state-like properties that may vary across situations and individuals.
