SurvObjectification theorists suggest that one way for women to combat self-objectification is through participation in sport and exercise activities that encourage body competence. This two-part study investigates the impact of (a) motivation for physical activity and (b) type of physical activity on the outcomes of self-objectification, body dissatisfaction, appearance anxiety, and disordered eating. In Study 1, 539 undergraduate women completed a packet of measures assessing these outcome variables and participants' physical activity habits. As predicted, motivation to exercise for appearance reasons positively predicted all outcomes while motivation for competence reasons negatively predicted all outcomes except disordered eating. Participants who primarily participated in aerobic sports reported significantly lower disordered eating and habitual body monitoring compared to participants who primarily used a treadmill or elliptical machine. Women who primarily exercised on the elliptical experienced higher levels of self-objectification and physique anxiety than any other activity type. Overall outcomes were more positive (e.g., less body dissatisfaction) for individuals who exercised independent of a gym machine compared to those who used a machine. Motivation for competence moderated the association between exercise type (machine vs. non machine) and self-objectification, revealing a possible protective factor against the self-objectification expressed by women who exercised on gym machines. Finally, when the outcome variables were cluster analyzed, 4 distinct groups of exercisers emerged--the healthiest group engaged in significantly more sports and significantly less aerobic exercise than the most disordered participants. In Study 2, 25 participants completed a survey about their motivation for exercise and body attitudes over the course of 5 independent exercise sessions. Quantitative analyses were limited due to lack of variance in key constructs, attrition, and limited representation of multiple activity types. Despite these limitations, participants indicated that involvement in Study 2 impacted their body attitudes and motivation for exercise. The following themes emerged: (a) increased self-awareness, (b) desire to adopt more adaptive attitudes and behaviors, (c) desire to change motivation for/type of exercise, and (d) increased self-consciousness. Results are discussed in terms of identifying types of exercise most consistent with competence oriented body perspectives and motivation, clinical implications, and how findings might inform future intervention programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]