Adherence and Motivation

1
Adherence and Motivation

• Exercise specialists play an important role in
  educating the public about why regular physical
  activity is absolutely essential for good health
  and how to exercise safely and effectively.

2
Adherence and Motivation

• Of those individuals starting an exercise
  program, half will drop out within six months.

3
Adherence and Motivation

• As an exercise specialist, you must help the
  client develop a positive attitude toward
  physical activity and make a firm commitment to
  the exercise program.

4
Adherence and Motivation

• To increase adherence, you need to be aware of
  factors related to attrition.

5
Adherence and Motivation

• Adherence to an exercise program is related to
  biological, psychological, behavioral, social,
  and environmental factors.

6
Adherence and Motivation

• The most critical factors characterizing the
  exercise program dropout are
• Overweight
• Low self motivation
• Anxiety about exercise

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Adherence and Motivation

• No spousal support
• Inconvenient exercise facility
• Exercise intensity that is too high
• No social support during and after exercise.

8
Adherence and Motivation

• As the exercise specialist, you should focus
  particularly on those factors which are under
  your control such as setting individualized goals
  for the client, providing social support and
  reinforcement, and prescribing low-to-moderate
  exercise intensities.

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Adherence and Motivation

• To motivate your clients to exercise on a regular
  basis, prescribe physical activity that is
  enjoyable and fun.

10
Adherence and Motivation

• In an aerobic exercise program, for example, the
  participant does not need to do the same thing,
  such as walking or jogging, during every exercise
  session.

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Adherence and Motivation

• Other aerobic activities, such as swimming,
  cross-country skiing, and step aerobics may be
  substituted as long as the client exercises at
  the prescribed training intensity.

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Adherence and Motivation

• Some individuals need the added motivation of
  exercising with a partner or with a formal group.

13
Adherence and Motivation

• Whether your clients choose to exercise alone or
  with others, have them select a regular time and
  place to exercise, because consistency is a
  critical factor for instilling the exercise habit.

14
Adherence and Motivation

• You can use behavior modification techniques to
  increase program retention.

15
Adherence and Motivation

• Help your client set both short-term and
  long-term goals that are attainable.

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Adherence and Motivation

• For this purpose, you can periodically
  re-evaluate your clients fitness levels to
  assess improvement.

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Adherence and Motivation

• You can state goals in performance or
  physiological terms.
• An example of a short-term performance goal is to
  complete a 3-mile fun run in less than 33 minutes.

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Adherence and Motivation

• A long-term physiological goal might be to
  increase maximum oxygen uptake (VO2MAX) by 15 in
  four months.

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Adherence and Motivation

• The key to increasing exercise program adherence
  lies in the leadership, education, and motivation
  which you provide.

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Adherence and Motivation

• First, you must be a positive role model.
• Practice what you preach.

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Adherence and Motivation

• You must also be knowledgeable, able to educate
  clients about exercise and fitness, and able to
  provide motivation and encourage social support.

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Adherence and Motivation

• Athletes tend to be highly motivated.

23
Adherence and Motivation

• Motivation in athletes can be enhanced through
  success and feeling part of the team.

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Summary

• 1. Emphasize enjoyable participation in physical
  activities that are easily done throughout life.
• 2. Offer a diverse range of noncompetitive and
  competitive activities for different ages and
  abilities.

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Summary

• 3. Give young people the skills and confidence
  they need to be physically active.
• 4. Provide physical and social environments that
  encourage and enable young people to engage in
  safe and enjoyable physical activity.