The adolescent exercising female

Woodford, Lindsay

Abstract

Adolescence is the unique period of life between childhood and adulthood, and its definition has been a topic of much debate. It encompasses elements of biological growth and major social role transitions, both of which have changed in the past century. Arguably, the transition period from childhood to adulthood now occupies a larger portion of the life course than ever before; rather than age 10–19 years, a definition of 10–24 years has been suggested to correspond more closely with adolescent development (Sawyer, Azzopardi, Wickremarathne, & Patton, 2018). The primary developmental task of late adolescence is to establish a sense of self-identity (Erikson, 1959), whereby young people begin to define who they are through the goals, values, and beliefs that they find personally expressive and to which they commit. For females, adolescence is a crucial stage of development that incorporates menarche, bringing about a profound change in physiology. Any personal challenges experienced in adolescence may impact the female’s mental health and personal well-being. It is during this developmental phase that a steep decline in the frequency and intensity of physical activity, exercise, and sport occurs. This change is attributable to a number of factors including sociocultural norms, problems with body image, fear of judgement, and a number of competing interests (Sport England, 2016). For the adolescent exercising female then, this developmental stage is likely to be critical as the sport and exercise domain brings with it a number of additional challenges, yet it may also mediate the stress and pressure of this stage, in this phase of the lifecycle.

Citation

Woodford, L. (2018). The adolescent exercising female. In J. Forsyth, & C. Roberts (Eds.), The Exercising Female: Science and its Application (7-18). Oxford, UK: Routledge

• Publication Date: Oct 26, 2018
• Deposit Date: Aug 13, 2021
• Pages: 7-18
• Series Title: Routledge Research in Sport and Exercise Science
• Book Title: The Exercising Female: Science and its Application
• Chapter Number: 2
• ISBN: 9780815391982
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6113802
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/The-Exercising-Female-Science-and-Application/Forsyth-Roberts/p/book/9780815391982