The effect of psychological skills and affective intervention programs on exercise adherence

Abstract

Unrestricted Regular exercise has been associated with many physical and psychological benefits. Although many studies have cited the benefits of regular exercise, only a relatively small percentage of children and adults participate in regular physical activity. Over 50% of adults are completely sedentary (Weinberg & Gould, 2003). Also, half the people who start a regular exercise program drop out within six months.; The purpose of the present study is to investigate the efficacy of types of interventions designed to increase exercise adherence. Another purpose is to examine the psychological benefits of an exercise program.; The design of this study is a pre-test/post-test design. Participants were randomly divided into four groups (Cognitive/behavioral group, Affective group, Self-monitoring group, and a Control group). The Cognitive/behavioral group, Affective group, and Self-monitoring group meet separately at the beginning of the intervention to discuss different strategies to help them adhere to the exercise program, while the Control group meet separately and discussed the exercise program only. The exercise program consisted of performing a cardiovascular activity three times a week for 30 minutes per bout at an intensity of 60-85% maximum heart rate for 10 weeks. The subjects were limited to exercising at the Lyons Center facility on campus. Exercise sessions were supervised by the author.; Several questionnaires were given at the first meeting and again at the final meeting. Questions addressed numerous variables believed to influence exercise behavior. The number of exercise sessions attended divided by the total number of sessions prescribed gives us a measure of exercise adherence.; Four weeks after the final meeting and 26-weeks after the initial meeting all subjects were contacted and asked to answer a short questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about their current exercise behavior in order to see how many participants were still exercising regularly.; Results found that the majority of participants who were physically active before college, adhered to the exercise program. Also, positive changes in affective states were found for those who adhered to the program. In addition, results found increases in perceived physical ability and competence. Implications for health professionals, medical doctors, dieticians, coaches, and teachers are presented.