It’s not the What, it’s the Why: Motivational Strategies

for Health Behaviors

Dr. Diane E. WhaleyColby Sawyer Exercise &

Sport Sciences & Athletics Symposium

March 21, 2011

http://curry.virginia.edu/academics/areas-of-study/educational-psychology

Lots of people intend to quit smoking, exercise, eat right - but many don’t - WHY?!

Changing behaviors, particularly those related to health, takes motivation!

Motivation Defined

Motivation includes: the preference for

choosing exercise or other health behaviors over other choices

the persistence one displays in sticking with an activity

the intensity one exhibits when participating in the activity

Motives for participation must outweigh barriers!

Strategies for meeting these motives:

Relate exercise specifically to the potential health benefits (future-oriented goals)

Enhance enjoyment - provide variety and high involvement

Allow participants some control Increase opportunities for social interaction De-emphasize body image issues Teach self-regulation

But is it that simple?

What motivates us to do things?

What motivates us to do things?

Intrinsic – for the joy of it

Extrinsic – want to

Extrinsic – have to

Theories of Motivation

Many theories exist, but a few concepts cut across most of them: Have to feel capable of the behavior in question Have to feel that the behavior achieves some

purpose; that is, it’s important or relevant Have to feel like you have some control over the

behavior or the environment

Theory of Planned Behavior(Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980)

How do we make sure of this link??

Keys to Behavior Change

Intention must be converted to action!

First step in behavior change is recognizing what we do, what we don’t do, and what we think about those behaviors We call this self-awareness Self-awareness in turn leads to self-regulation

CRITICAL for helping to maintain behaviors over the long term!

Self Regulation is…

Regulating our own thoughts, feelings, & behaviors over time and contexts

Cyclical process – with health behaviors, have to continue monitoring for changes!

Example of Self-Reflection: My Health Behaviors

Behavior Intend to change? (1-10)

Know why I should? (1-10)

Do what I should? (1-10)

What are my barriers?

Eat more fruits & veggiesExercise more oftenDrink more water

The Forethought Phase: Planning for Change Goals are an

important tool for behavior change

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-contingent

Goal: “Exercise More Often”

Make it SMART!

“I WILL GO TO THE GYM 3X THIS WEEK AT 4PM FOR 1 HOUR”

What might be barriers to achieving this goal?

What strategies can I use to help me maintain this goal over the longer term?

Are Goals Enough?Listening to Our inner dialogue

Sometimes, we can be our own best friend OR worst enemy when it comes to behavior change. What we say to and about ourselves - our self-

talk, can either support or thwart our plans. Again, the first step is awareness

Do you know what you say??

Irrational or distorted self-talk (“I must/have to…” statements)

Perfectionism (“I must do this perfectly”) Catastrophizing (“I missed my exercise

session – I knew I couldn’t last”) Personalization (“If I had just made that

goal, we would have won”) Blaming (“If there were better food in the

dining halls I would eat healthier”)

Techniques to improve self- talk Thought stoppage - consciously recognize

negative thought (trigger - i.e., snap fingers) Changing negative self-talk to positive or

instructional self-talk Countering assumptions - necessary when

you still believe the negative thought. Uses facts to counter negative thought

Reframing – creating alternative frames of reference - change your perspective!

ST Restructuring Exercise

“It’s over if I eat this piece of cake” Countering:

I had a small piece (fact), and I walked at lunch today (fact)

Reframing: Yes, I did slip, but I will walk an extra mile

tomorrow (admit problem and propose a solution!)

Take Home Messages

Any behavior change takes work, and health behaviors may take the most thought

Behavior change over the long term only happens if we learn/teach self-regulation

We can learn how to self-regulate and teach this to others to be effective agents for change!