A new study found that women who wear plus-size athletic clothing have a contingent relationship between their clothing and their motivation to exercise, and that they are more likely to avoid exercise if they are dissatisfied. Gender Roles.
Previous research has found that larger-sized women face significant prejudice, both in society at large and within the fitness industry. Exercise apparel for plus-size women often lacks availability, comfort, and functionality, which can act as a barrier to physical activity. Additionally, women may be made to feel that their bodies are inappropriate for fitness settings, which can lead to negative psychological experiences such as body surveillance and social size anxiety. These experiences can further discourage participation in physical activity.
Researchers Christy Greenleaf and Caitlin Hauff recruited 130 women who wore US size 14 or larger clothing and exercised at least two days per week. Participants were primarily white (89.2%) and had an average age of 40.5 years. Participants completed several assessments related to clothing size and satisfaction, as well as psychological experiences while exercising.
To measure satisfaction with plus-size athletic clothing, participants answered eight items assessing the variety of athletic clothing options, price, size, fashionability, and functionality both in-store and online, rating them on a 5-point scale. Participants answered questions about how clothing affects their emotions and body image during physical activity, rating both positive and negative emotions.
Participants also completed the Body Monitoring subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, which assesses the extent to which participants focus on their appearance rather than their body’s function during physical activity. Social body image anxiety, or fear of how others will perceive their body, was measured using the Social Body Image Anxiety Scale. Finally, exercise avoidance motivation was assessed using four items capturing participants’ discomfort in public places to exercise and their tendency to avoid exercise due to concerns about body image.
In addition to their quantitative assessment, the researchers also incorporated a qualitative component. Participants were asked two open-ended questions about how exercise clothing positively and negatively affected their physical activity. A coding team of the authors and research assistants categorized responses into themes related to clothing characteristics (e.g., fit, comfort, style) and psychological responses (e.g., confidence, motivation, sense of belonging).
Women who reported being satisfied with their outfits reported greater body confidence and more positive emotions while exercising. They stated that when their body fits well and performs effectively during physical activity, they feel comfortable, happy, and proud. In contrast, women who were dissatisfied with their exercise outfits experienced increased levels of body surveillance and social body anxiety. These women reported that ill-fitting or uncomfortable clothing made them feel more self-conscious, leading to negative emotions such as frustration, embarrassment, and discomfort while exercising.
Additionally, dissatisfaction with plus-size athletic clothing was a strong predictor of exercise avoidance motivations. Women who were dissatisfied with their clothing were more likely to avoid public exercise spaces, such as gyms and outdoors, due to concerns about how their bodies would be perceived by others. Negative feelings were associated with ill-fitting or out-of-fashion clothing, which made participants feel out of place in fitness environments.
Qualitative responses from participants highlighted a contingent relationship between clothing and exercise: when exercise clothing is functional, comfortable, and stylish, people are more likely to participate in exercise. However, when clothing is ill-fitting or uncomfortable, it increases anxiety and leads people to avoid exercise altogether.
One limitation is that the study did not include a range of clothing sizes, as most participants wore sizes between 1X and 3X.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of well-designed, comfortable plus-size athletic clothing in encouraging larger women to exercise. Clothing that fits the body well and follows fashion trends can foster confidence and motivation, while poor quality clothing can be a hindrance to exercising.
This study:Women’s experiences with plus-size exercise clothes: When the size doesn’t fit, it’s so embarrassing it makes you want to die!” was written by Christy Greenleaf and Caitlyn Hauff.
