Vicious Lifecycle.

Another way that exercise can add to the quality of life is by offering opportunities to experience peak moments.Peak moments provide a base for vivid, fulfilling, often reviewed memories that help define individuals’ lives and give them meaning. The feeling dimension ranges from one extreme of misery to the opposite extreme of ecstasy The performance dimension ranges from an extreme of total failure to personal best. The center of the figure is neutral and typifies many everyday experiences consisting of average performance and neutral feelings. The entire top right quadrant of the feeling and performance model depicted in the picture above contains diverse yet somewhat similar peak moments that tend to occur in physical activity.

A peak performance is spontaneous, represents superior functioning, reflects a high standard of accomplishment, and can result from a wide variety of activities.

A peak experience reflects a psychological state that includes intense joy and happiness. It can be any experience that evokes strong, positive affective states such as peace,great joy, illumination, loss of self, or ecstasy Peak experiences are memorable, fulfilling, and personally meaningful moments that affect the quality of life.

The concept of flow,described as a positive psychological state and contributorto quality of life. The model describes flow as a delicatebalance between personal skill and task demands.

Demands of the task, the task is too easy, and boredom may occur. If an individual’s exercise ability is inadequate forthe task, the task is too difficult and is associated with anxiety. Apathy results if both perceived challenge and skilllevel are low. Flow results when the demands of the taskrequire intense concentration and when there is a matchbetween personal ability or skill and the demands of thetask.

The exerciser’s high is a specific type of peak experiencecharacterized by euphoria, a heightened sense of well-being, unusual perceptions of strength and power, aglimpse of perfection, and even spirituality. Runners, in particular, tend to report occasionallyexperiencing peak moments and a euphoric state while exercising. This experience extends to other activities (eg Cycling , Climbing) and can be broadened to exerciser’s high