Strategies for Exercise Behavior

This document discusses the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle on health and motivation, and provides strategies and recommendations for increasing exercise behavior. It emphasizes the use of self-determination theory and highlights the benefits of physical activity.

Running head: SPORTS AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY 1
Sports and Exercise Psychology
Name
Institution

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Obesity is the compound disorder that comprises an extreme quantity of the fats of the
body. It raises the dangers of different diseases in the body and some of the health problems such
as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. When someone is obese it narrows down that
the person is likely to have health issues that are related to the weight. Jessica suffers the same
condition and when she is advised by her friends to visit the gym, she only joins there for the
sake of preventing her friends from harassing her. She is given some of the instructions to follow
by her instructor at the gym but she disobeys. Later on Jessica joins a new gym after being
harassed again to do so.
Briefly explain why Jessica’s previous experiences have heard a negative effect on her health
and her motivation to be active over the long term.
In joining the new gym, Jessica confessed that she has been living a sedentary life style for
the past seven years and this had negative effects in her health. Sedentary life do not comprise of
any physical activity. Such individuals often carry out their activities while sitting or lying down.
Sedentary lifestyle causes obesity, different type of cancer and even early death.
Outline the strategies and recommendations you could employ to ensure Jessica begins and
maintains a higher level of exercise behavior.
As the new instructor of the gym that Jessica joins, I would employ the use of self-
determination theory to set out some strategies and recommendations for the case of her exercise.
Self-determination will drive her to be aware of her personality and what she is capable of doing.
She must first believe in herself that she is capable. Through the application of self-
determination, she will realize the importance and the need for competence, need for autonomy
and also the need for connectedness. I would make her learn how to take in new experiences and
how to overcome some challenges both in life and during the time she will be there at the gym

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(Gagné, Dysvik & Kuvaas, 2014). After that I will employ the following strategies; first I would
lecture Jessica about the benefits of exercising for instance physical activity improves the
expenditure of energy, it impacts in minimum weight loss and also maintains the physical fitness
of the body. Next I would ask Jessica to give me her reasons against adopting the active lifestyle.
This is important because it will help her reach the assumption that the positive traits of growing
the level of activity are continuously related with the constructive improvements (Whitaker &
Wright, 2009).
To make Jessica increase the loyalty to her exercise, I would asses her activity levels to be
able to determine her present activity levels. Next I would modify the activity goals of Jessica to
be able to estimate the type activity that is possible for her at the moment. Next I would self-
monitor Jessica to make her aware of her exercise habits. When frequent self-monitoring is done
it results to higher weight loss daily. Next I would control the stimulus by making sure that the
external environment is conducive for Jessica to sustain her exercise. Finally I would make her to
have a positive attitude about the active lifestyle and this would assist her in maintaining
complex behavior (Gagné, Koestner & Hope, 2014). In conclusion, the establishment of the new
methods would assist Jessica in reducing her weight and physical maintenance and also a
positive mindset of the active lifestyle (Ogden & Caroll, 2016).

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References
Ogden, L., Caroll, D., & Curtin, R. (2016). Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United
States. Journal of Jama 295 (13), 1549-1555.
Whitaker, C., Wright, A., & Seidel, D. (2009). Predicting obesity in young adulthood from
childhood and parental obesity. New England Journal of medicine 337(14).
Gagné, M., Dysvik, A., & Kuvaas, B. (2014). Self-Determination Theory and Workplace
Training and Development. The Oxford Handbook of Work Engagement, Motivation, and
Self-Determination Theory. doi:10.1093/oxford/9780199794911.013.014
Gagné, M., Koestner, R., & Hope, N. (2014). A Self-Determination Theory Approach to
Goals. The Oxford Handbook of Work Engagement, Motivation, and Self-Determination
Theory. doi:10.1093/oxford/9780199794911.013.025

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