Relationships between Exercise as a Mood Regulation Strategy and Trait Emotional Intelligence

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perception of emotional intelligence and beliefs in the extent to which exercising leads to mood-enhancement. Volunteer participants (N= 315) completed a 33-item self-report measure of trait emotional intelligence and an exercise-mood regulation scale. Emotional intelligence significantly correlated with beliefs that exercise could be used to regulate mood (r =0.45, P<0. 01). Findings demonstrate that using exercise to regulate mood relates significantly to emotional intelligence and suggest that individuals who use exercise to enhance mood report higher scores of emotional intelligence.