Relationship between Hardiness and Exercise Habits in Japanese Undergraduates

This study examined the relationship between hardiness and exercise habits. 468 undergraduates participated. They answered questionnaires measured by the Hardiness Scale. We asked participants whether they exercised daily their exercise time and frequency and whether they belong to an athletic club activity or exercise circle. Participants were then divided into groups according to their answers about exercise habits. The results indicate that the Exercise group has significantly higher scores on the three general components of hardiness (Commitment Control and Challenge than the Non‑Exercise group. The Athletic Club Activity group has a significantly higher score on Commitment than the Exercise Circle and Non‑Exercise groups and a significantly higher score on Control than the Non‑Exercise group. There was no significant correlation between hardiness and amount of exercise. The Athletic Club Activity group tended toward higher scores on Commitment than the Exercise Circle group in participants who exercised for the same amount of time per week. These results lead to the conclusion that the Commitment score component of hardiness is associated not with differences in exercise time but by differences in belonging.