Here are some podcasts and books about how psychology can be applied to help people live healthier lives, including exercising more and better. Of course, I’m not responsible for their content and listing here is not an endorsement! But you may find these helpful.
Podcasts
Motives for Movement is the official podcast of the Applied Psychologists in Physical Activity Network (APPAN). I’m a member of this network. Episodes are hosted by a psychologist who specialises in exercise and physical activity. It’s aimed at anyone interested in using a little of the psychology of exercise to make their (or their clients’) workouts better.
The Fitness Psych Podcast is hosted by UK sport and exercise psychologist Ella Whitcomb-Khan, and focuses on exercise in exercisers and how fitness professionals such as personal trainers and coaches can use a little psychology here and there.
MyoMinds: Conversations about exercise, sport and mental health on topics such as exercise addiction, feeling too small or skinny when you aren’t (a.k.a. muscle dysmorphia) and problematic eating. Hosted by George Mycock, who researches muscle-oriented psychological problems.
Books
There are some great books about exercise psychology that are great for beginners, or that have sections on exercise psychology. You can order them from any online bookstore.
Books well-suited to anyone (e.g. person who exercises or wants to exercise)
I’m only including in this list books specifically about the psychology of exercise, not about “healthy habits” in general.
The Psychology of Exercise by Josephine Perry (published by Routledge). A great and very short introduction.
Books well-suited to a professional or anyone who is very interested
Applied Health Fitness Psychology by Mark H. Anshel (published by Human Kinetics). Very practical book about applying psychology and motivational science to exercise, fairly simple material. If I were giving a course for fitness industry professionals new to this topic, this would be a top choice.
The Psychology of Exercise: Integrating Theory and Practice by Curt L. Lox et al. (published by Routledge). One of my favourite books on this topic with chapters on all sorts of topics and helpful practical suggestions.
Exercise Psychology: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior by Hausenblas and Rhodes (published by Jones and Bartlett). Another one with great material on using psychology to help people be more active.
Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology by Robert Weinberg and Dan Gould (published by Human Kinetics). Many sport and exercise psychology textbooks give a great intro to the psychology of exercise; bear in mind that even what look like sport topics often also are relevant to exercise! I like this one because it is easy to read, focuses on the basics, and is designed for people who are new to psychology. Every chapter is explicit in how the ideas could be used in exercise (or sport) in a real-world setting. You don’t need to know any psychology before reading; it’s often used for teaching Sport Science students at university (rather than psychology students, although I use it as main textbook for my Sport and Exercise Psychology module).
Exercise Psychology by Janet Buckman and Rod Dishman (published by Human Kinetics). Very detailed, probably better for those with some prior knowledge or who are more confident, but if so it packs a lot in.
Open-source e-book
Try Essentials of Exercise and Sport Psychology. Each chapter is written by researchers specialising on that topic, and edited by Dr. Zachary Zenko and Dr. Leighton Jones. You can read and download any or all of the chapters free of charge at https://kinesiologybooks.org/index.php/stork/catalog/book/10. Some of the chapters are about sport, but most of them are about the psychology of exercise, and the general audience seems to be university students on a sport and exercise science, psychology or kinesiology degree (as a free-to-use textbook). Some chapters are an easier read than others. If you find it not an easy read, try and get a copy of one of the books above.
Intro to Psychology
Among the many books introducing psychology, maybe my favourite is the Rough Guide to Psychology by Dr. Christian Jarrett. It was shortlisted for the British Psychological Society’s Book Award 2011 & the Guild of Health Writers Best Book Award 2012. It’s my favourite introduction for people new to psychology. There are many others you can get, some aimed at general readers (e.g. Teach Yourself Psychology, Psychology for Dummies, Dorling Kindersley’s The Psychology Book, etc.), some as textbooks for those studying introductory psychology at school, college or university.
There are a lot of websites about psychology, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. One you could try is https://www.simplypsychology.org/
Think and Grow Fit 