Why Do You Exercise - or Why Don't You?
Pressure, guilt, value or fun - the reason behind the habit decides whether it lasts
Most exercise advice is about how much and how hard. The research on why people keep going points somewhere else: to the reason behind it. Exercising because someone insists, because you would feel guilty not to, because you value what it does for you, or because you simply like it - these behave very differently when the weather turns, the schedule fills up or the novelty fades.
Before you start There are no right answers. Pick what is usually true for you, not what sounds best.
Answer about exercise and physical activity in general over recent months. If you currently do none, answer about why that is.
What it measures
Five points on the self-determination continuum as applied to exercise: not seeing the point (amotivation), outside pressure, guilt and 'should', personal value, and enjoyment. Unlike the site's general motivation test, this one is specific to physical activity, includes amotivation, and separates valuing exercise from enjoying it.
Based on: Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire, BREQ-2 and BREQ-3 (Markland & Tobin, 2004; Wilson, Rodgers, Loitz & Scime, 2006)
Possible results
Not seeing the point
Whether exercise currently feels pointless or not worth your time.
Outside pressure
Whether you exercise because other people expect, push or reward it.
Guilt and 'should'
Whether you exercise to avoid feeling guilty or bad about yourself.
Personal value
Whether you exercise because you value what it does and who it makes you.
Enjoyment
Whether you exercise because you simply like doing it.
Common questions
How is this different from a general motivation test?
A general test asks about work, study and projects and uses a few broad kinds of motivation. This one is specific to exercise, follows questionnaires built for it, and adds two things: amotivation - not seeing the point at all - and a split between valuing exercise and enjoying it, which the research finds matter at different stages of the habit.
Which kind of motivation keeps people exercising?
A 2012 systematic review found consistent support for the more self-chosen kinds. Valuing what exercise does for you predicted getting started more strongly, while enjoyment was the better predictor of sticking with it over the long term. Evidence on guilt-based motivation was mixed, and pressure from outside tends to fade with the pressure.
Is guilt a bad reason to exercise?
Not always, but it is an unstable one. Guilt can get people moving, yet it tends to come with pressure and fragile habits that collapse after a missed week. It works better as an occasional nudge alongside a reason you genuinely endorse than as the main engine.
Can I make myself enjoy exercise?
Not by force, but you can arrange the conditions. Trying different activities, lowering the intensity, adding company or music and noticing how you feel afterwards all raise the odds. The same review found that feeling competent at an activity predicts taking part, so choosing something you can get better at helps too.
Sources
- Markland, D., & Tobin, V. (2004). A modification to the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire to include an assessment of amotivation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. doi:10.1123/jsep.26.2.191
- Wilson, P. M., Rodgers, W. M., Loitz, C. C., & Scime, G. (2006). It's who I am... really! The importance of integrated regulation in exercise contexts. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9861.2006.tb00021.x
- Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Markland, D., Silva, M. N., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-78
An honest note The BREQ questionnaires score each regulation separately; here, identified and integrated regulation are combined in the 'personal value' bar, and the items are Quinthea's own wording adapted from the published questionnaires, so scores are not comparable to their norms. The research is mostly correlational and comes largely from Western adults. This is not a fitness or health assessment: if you have a medical condition, are returning after an injury or feel unwell when exercising, talk to a doctor first.
Try one of these next
How Do You Really Feel About Your Money?
Not how much you earn, but how secure and free your finances let you feel
How Much FOMO Do You Have?
The fear, the checking, and the evening you were not actually at
What Really Decides What You Eat?
Health, taste, time, money or conscience - the motives behind your shopping basket