1. Chapter 13
Leading a Physically Active Life

2. Learning Objectives
Learn the status of physical activity participation in the United States.
Learn about the barriers to being physically active.
Understand how to exercise to increase physical activity participation.
Learn the facts about successful behavior change.

3. The Facts About Physical Activity
70% of 12-year-old children are vigorously active.
Only 30% to 40% of 21-year-old adults are vigorously active.
Most adult Americans are not physically active enough for health benefits.

4. Exercise Program Dropout Rates

5. Physical Activity Trends in Americans

6. KEY
POINTS
The vast majority of Americans believe that being active is healthy for them, yet most remain sedentary.
Barriers to physical activity can be categorized as personal, environmental, social, and exercise history and exertion barriers.
Lack of time and poor accessibility to facilities or equipment are the two main barriers people report for not adopting or maintaining an exercise program.

7. Personal Barriers
Demographic barriers
Cognitive barriers

8. Personal Factors Influencing Physical Activity
Factor Influence
Demographics
Increasing age Negative
Blue-collar occupation Negative
Higher level of education Positive
Gender (male) Positive
High risk for heart disease Negative
Higher socioeconomic status Positive
Injury history Unclear
Overweight/obesity Negative
Race (nonwhite) Negative
Pregnancy and early child-rearing Negative
Personal Factors Influencing Physical Activity
(continued)

9. Personal Factors Influencing Physical Activity (continued)
Factor Influence
Cognitive Variables
Positive attitude Neutral
Perceived barriers to exercise Negative
Perceived control over exercise Positive
Enjoyment of exercise Positive
Expected benefits Positive
Value of expected outcomes Positive
Health locus of control Positive
Intention to exercise Positive
Knowledge of health and exercise Neutral
Personal Factors Influencing Physical Activity (continued)

10. KEY
POINTS
Beliefs and values help explain why some people are active despite circumstances that would predict an inactive lifestyle, and why others are sedentary even though they have the opportunities and resources to be physically active.
Many people are motivated to begin exercising by the benefits they expect to receive, but they are more likely to maintain an exercise regimen when they attain personal goals and enjoy the exercise.

11. Environmental Factors Influencing Physical Activity
Factor Influence
Climate/season Unclear
Perceived lack of time Negative
Easy access to facilities Positive
Home equipment Unknown
Environmental Factors Influencing Physical Activity

12. Social Factors Influencing Physical Activity
Factor Influence
Class size Unknown*
Exercise role models Unknown*
Good group cohesion Positive*
Physician influence Positive
Past family influence Positive
Social support (friends/peers) Positive
Social support (spouse/family) Positive
Social support (staff/instructor) Positive
*Experts predict the influence of these factors, but not enough research has been done to draw firm conclusions.
Social Factors Influencing Physical Activity

13. Factor Influence
Past adult activity Positive
Diet Unclear
Television watching Negative
Past childhood activity Unknown
School sports Unrelated (men)
Positive (women)
Smoking Negative
Exercise intensity Negative
Exercise frequency Negative
Exercise duration Negative
Perceived effort of exercise Negative
Exercise History and Exercise Exertion Factors Influencing Physical Activity

14. KEY
POINTS
The habits that make up a sedentary lifestyle can be hard to break. The best predictor of how physically active people will be in the future is how active they have been in the past.
Choosing an activity you enjoy and exercising at an intensity that is challenging but not uncomfortable are important for planning an exercise program you’ll stick with.

15. The Keys to Successfully Changing Behavior
Goal setting
Self-monitoring
Self-reinforcement

16. KEY
POINT
Successful behavior change requires that a person be ready to change. This readiness can vary depending on past experiences and current circumstances. You should view successful behavior change as an ongoing endeavor, not as a final product.

17. Behavior Modification
Stimulus control—Manipulating one’s physical environment to prompt a behavior.
Turning off television: prevents sitting down instead of exercising
Hanging a poster about walking:
promotes going for a walk
(continued)

18. Behavior Modification
Reinforcement control—Using reinforcement during or after a behavior to increase the occurrence of the behavior.
Positive reinforcer: a reward given to promote activity, such as praise from an exercise leader during a session
Negative reinforcer: taking away privilege
of watching television

19. Cognitive Behavior Modification
The modification of beliefs and thoughts: the person making the change learns to control the cues and reinforcers.
Employs such techniques as self- monitoring, goal setting, self-reward, time-management skills, and environmental engineering.

20. KEY
POINTS
Through goal setting, people can devise a plan that directs activity and emphasizes the link between behavior and outcome.
Specific, measurable goals are easier to monitor and make adjustments for; it’s also easier, when goals are specific, to know when they have been reached.

21. KEY
POINT
One popular view proposes that when people try to change behavior they move through five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

22. Relapse Prevention
Identify risks for stopping your physical activity program.
Plan to cope with those risks.
Place consequences of missing a physical activity session in proper perspective.
(continued)

23. Relapse Prevention Expect and plan for lapses (sedentary occasions).
Do not have an all-or-nothing attitude.
Have fun while being physically active.
Rule out thoughts and images that support being physically inactive.