Abstract
Many of us can relate to the difficulty of initiating and maintaining a regular exercise program in our daily lives. In fact, up to 60 % of people fail to maintain regular physical activity 6 months after starting an exercise program (Dishman, 1988). Despite these sobering figures, strategies drawn from modern psychological theory-based interventions can help clients initiate and maintain regular physical activity. As the effectiveness of any therapeutic technique is partly dependent on clients’ motivation for change, facilitating motivation is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of initiating physical activity. Although those seeking to increase physical activity in their lives likely already possess some motivation to change their current behavior, many find it difficult to maintain regular activity as originally intended. While many have shared this experience, others are able to initiate and maintain regular physical activity throughout their lives. What accounts for this difference? We may never know the full answer to this question, but we do know that theory and techniques developed for use in psychotherapy or counseling can encourage, facilitate, and maintain a variety of behavior changes, including physical activity.
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Davis, K.J., Hubley, S., Leiferman, J. (2012). Individual-Level Behavior Change Strategies to Promote Physical Activity. In: Meyer, A., Gullotta, T. (eds) Physical Activity Across the Lifespan. Issues in Children's and Families' Lives, vol 12. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3606-5_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3606-5_11
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