Recalled and Forecasted Pleasure of Exercise Increases by Ramping Intensity Down

Abstract

Novel strategies are needed to increase exercise behavior at the population level. Recent studies highlight affect (pleasure-displeasure) as a correlate and predictor of exercise behavior. Thus, interventions aimed at improving the affective experience of exercise may hold promise. Insight from behavioral economics suggests that the slope (i.e., the direction and rate of change) of affect during an episode influences how the episode is later remembered and thus the likelihood of the experience being repeated. PURPOSE: To determine the role of the slope of affect during an exercise bout in shaping how pleasant the bout is subsequently remembered to have been and how pleasant future bouts are expected to feel (“affective forecasting”). METHODS: Forty-six adults (31 men, age 28±5 yr, VO2peak 29±7 ml·kg-1·min-1) were randomly assigned to either a 15-min bout of recumbent stationary cycling of increasing intensity (0% to 120% of the Watts corresponding to the ventilatory threshold, VT) or a session of decreasing intensity (120% to 0% of VT). Ratings of pleasure-displeasure, using the Feeling Scale (FS; Hardy & Rejeski, 1989), were provided every 3 min during the bout, to determine individual slopes of change. Enjoyment, using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES, Kendzierski & DeCarlo, 1991) was measured 20 min after exercise. Recollections of the pleasure-displeasure associated with the bout and forecasts of future bouts were rated 15 min, 24 h, and 7 d after the bout. RESULTS: Individual slopes of FS from min 3 to 15 differed between the groups (F=52.40, p<0.001), whereas the average FS did not. The decreasing-intensity (increasing-pleasure) group reported more enjoyment (F=11.03, p=0.002), recalled the bout as more pleasant 15 min (F=23.15, p<0.001), 24 h (F= 13.95, p<0.001), and 7 d (F=9.99, p=0.003) later, and forecasted that a future bout would be more pleasant 15 min (F=9.26, p=0.004), 24 h (F=8.15, p=0.007), and 7 d (F=5.91, p=0.019) later. Likewise, individual variation in the slope of FS predicted all recollections and forecasts. CONCLUSION: While including exposure to high intensity and keeping the total amount of exercise constant, ramping intensity down may be a novel strategy for improving how bouts are remembered and future bouts are forecasted to feel. In turn, this may facilitate adherence.