Exercise Motivation and Self Determination: The Future of Fitness and Training

Abstract

Abstract Background: Regardless of whether one's goal is to lose body fat, increase lean muscle mass, gain strength, boost speed, or just promote overall health and wellness, that person must first be motivated to put in the labor necessary to experience a favorable outcome. Objective: The purpose of this study was to prove that, with regard to exercise motivation, different demographics of people respond uniquely to certain approaches and that a stronger comprehension of the topic would be highly beneficial to the members of society and society as a whole. Design and Method: The research method is based on current scholarly research literature in Psychology and Sports Medicine. This research was gathered via a number of academic databases and libraries and then subsequently examined through the lens of the primary research questions. The study is strictly qualitative as it synthesizes the collected research in a way that supports the claims being made. The referenced studies utilize many different data-gathering tools in their research, including questionnaires, variable associations, bivariate correlations, and quantitative analyses of empirical studies. Chapter IV contains the results of this qualitative methodology which were effective in answering the main research questions being asked: RQ1: With regard to motivation, do different demographics of people respond uniquely to certain approaches?

RQ2: Does there exists a gross lack of understanding within the fitness world with regard to motivational tactics?

RQ3: Would a stronger collective comprehension of the subject yield inevitably positive outcomes for the overall health and fitness of American communities?

Results: The results of this study suggest that all three of the aforementioned researched questions can be answered with a resounding 'yes.' Conclusions: A person's motivation to train is, without a doubt, one of the most vitally important factors of just about any exercise regimen. Once one is intrinsically motivated to achieve a particular goal, it is far easier for that person to experience success in that area. By unlocking the mysteries of our psychology, humanity would almost certainly be propelled to whole new levels of physical fitness. With our community experiencing such favorable increases in its overall health, who knows what other matters humanity could focus its attention on?

Keywords: Motivation, Intrinsic Motivation, Sports Psychology, Sports Education, Self-Efficacy, Exercise, Health, Intensity, Duration, Self-Determination, Self Determination Theory, Neuroticism, Weight Loss, Weight Gain, SDT, Aerobic Exercise, Neuroplasticity, Anaerobic Exercise, Prochaska, Prochaska's 10 Processes of Change, transtheoretical model of behavioral change, Exercise Program, and Exercise Psychology.