Exercise Behavior and Adherence

Physical activity can help individuals maintain their weight, prevent bone wasting, increase energy levels, relieve stress and tension, enhance self-esteem, and lower risk factors for disease. Therefore, if evidence for the advantages and disadvantages of physical activity has been available for years, why do .
             Americans still find it so hard to do so? One would think that these reasons would be sufficient enough to get Americans more active, but results of most studies have shown otherwise. Researchers and doctors are constantly trying to find interventions and ways to increase exercise behavior and adherence. What would it take to persuade you to exercise? Determining the motivational factors and variables that promote individuals to exercise regularly or to begin exercising can provide a potential intervention to help those who do not include physical activity in their daily routine. Of course the variables will vary among different people, but most are categorized by personal, environmental, or characteristics of the exercise. .
             The self-determination theory is uniquely placed among exercise performance to examine the differential types of motivation and psychological needs that can underlie behavior. It is principally concerned with motivation and how to motivate people to act. Firstly, this theory states that motivation can be distinguished into two main types: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the drive to do something purely for one's personal enjoyment or fun. This type of motivation is ideal because people engage in an activity based on their personal perception, and they are more likely to continue the activity for their own reasons. In contrast, external factors or forces drive extrinsic motivation and someone is more likely to complete a task or activity only if doing so will yield to some kind of reward or benefit upon completion. Between intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, previous research hints that intrinsic motivation is the key and basic motivational component of exercise behavior.