mpowerment refers to measures designed to
increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination
in people and in communities in order to enable them
to represent their interests in a responsible and selfdetermined
way, acting on their own authority. It is the
process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially
in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.
Empowerment as action refers both to the process of
self-empowerment and to professional support of people,
which enables them to overcome their sense of
powerlessness and lack of influence, and to recognize
and use their resources. In exercise, empowerment is
defined as the participants’ increased sense of their
ability to control and reach their physical fitness and
health potential through continued exercise, including
transference benefits from their current exercise class
experience. A perception of exercise empowerment
may help explain why some participants can successfully
overcome obstacles on the road to achieving longterm
exercise behavior change. For example, collegiate
female athletes described the empowerment they developed
through sports participation as resulting in bodily
competence, perceptions of a competent self, and a proactive
approach to life. Exercisers who have a high perception
of exercise empowerment may express similar
outcomes. These positive outcomes may explain how
empowerment could assist individuals in successfully
maintaining an active lifestyle. Thus, this study’s primary
aim included the development of a valid measure
for assessing empowerment in the exercise domain.
