Panteleimon Ekkekakis, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University and Honorary Fellow at Exeter University in the School of Sports and Health Sciences, studies the reasons behind what is presently considered the most serious public health challenge in industrialized countries, namely the problem of physical inactivity. In particular, his research examines the patterns of affective responses (such as pleasure versus displeasure) to exercise performed at different levels of intensity and the cognitive and physiological factors that influence these patterns. The rationale for this focus is based on the hedonic theory of motivation, according to which people generally tend to do what makes them feel better and tend to avoid what makes them feel worse.
