About

This blog is about the psychology of exercise and physical activity. That means it’s about the science of people and how we think, feel, believe and give meaning to our world. That science has lessons for helping us to exercise more satisfyingly, more consistently, more successfully, and in a way that keeps us feeling good. To me, exercise is all about feeling good! 

I always say that the most effective exercise is the one that person is going to do regularly, for a long time (and what that exercise is might change over time!). This blog is aimed at everyday people who exercise (or would like to), and people who work in the fitness industry, such as personal trainers. Each post applies the psychology of exercise and digests it in an easy to understand way, that you can use yourself or with your clients.

About me 

I’m Dr. Francis Quinn, a psychologist in the UK whose main interest is the psychology of exercise and physical health. To me, exercise should be about feeling good. If you feel good about it, you’re doing it right.

I like to work out three times a week or so. I have a PhD in Health Psychology, am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), and an active member of the BPS Division of Health Psychology and the BPS Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology. And I have a long history of using psychology to help with my own life problems.

I work as a Lecturer in Psychology at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland (which specialises in educating future professionals and researching solutions to real-world problems). I teach courses/modules on psychology and conduct scientific research about the psychology of exercise and also mental well-being. I was trained in psychology at the University of Aberdeen (which is among the world’s oldest universities). Of course, because this is a personal blog, anything I write comes from me (in the tradition of academic freedom) and isn’t the official position of my university.

Exercise is all about psychology!

Psychology isn’t just about mental health; it is the science of behaviour and mental processes, and all aspects of life are researched. We are behavioural scientists. Many psychologists research the psychology of exercise, and related factors such as motivation, self-regulation, habit, impulses, etc. A related area of research is the psychology of eating and other behaviours that affect our health.

There are other sport sciences that relate to exercise, such as biomechanics, nutrition, exercise physiology, etc. But because exercise is all about behaviour (i.e. actually doing it), that means that the science of behaviour is among the most important to promoting a physically active lifestyle. You don’t need to be a professional psychologist to use some psychology here and there, and I intend this blog to teach you to do that!

If you’re interested, also check out my list of books, blogs and websites.

What if you need professional help with your relationship with exercise?

Being a scientist and educator, I do not do one-to-one work with clients as I do not work as a practitioner. But other psychologists do (usually under the title of sport and exercise psychologist or health psychologist). If you would like to work individually on your relationship with physical activity and exercise, look for a sport and exercise psychologist or health psychologist in your area. Make sure they are registered to practice psychology in your country (in the UK, this means they must be registered with the UK Health and Care Professions Council, also known as the HCPC). 

If your problem with exercise has a mental health focus (for example, exercising too much or being dependent on exercise to cope with life) then you could get help from a mental health professional. This gives you a wider choice of professionals you can work with, such as a counsellor, psychiatrist, or one of several types of psychologist (e.g. clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist, sport and exercise psychologist). You should make sure that the professional you work with is licensed where you live, which could include being registered with a government (e.g. the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK) and being a member of a recognised professional organisation (e.g. the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).