ABSTRACT The current study identified the factors related to exercisers’ self-talk and exercise adherence. Hardy (2006) defined self-talk as “(a) verbalizations or statements addressed to the self; (b) multidimensional in nature; (c) having interpretive elements associate[d] with the content of statements employed; (d) is somewhat dynamic; and (e) serving at least two functions; instructional and motivational, for the athlete,” or in this case, the exerciser (p. 84). The purpose was to discover an individual’s exercise self-talk and what thoughts may be preventing, or encouraging, him or her to regularly exercise. Specifically, the participants were asked questions about their exercise participation, their use of and frequency of self-talk during exercise, their beliefs about the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, and their confidence levels related to exercising. Participants from three fitness locations volunteered to complete an online survey. There were 146 participants who completed the questionnaires. There were 91 defined adherers and 55 non-adherers. The results indicated that the adherers perceived more benefits to exercise, as well as had higher exercise self-efficacy. The results of the open-ended responses indicated that the most important factors appeared to be the type of self-talk that was used during the exercise (positive/motivational was the most common response across both adherers and non-adherers), and at what point during the exercise session the self-talk was used (20% of adherers reported using during difficult points in the session). The conclusions from the study can also be used to provide an indication of how self-talk could be used to encourage initiation and maintenance of exercise. Examination of Self-talk and Exercise Adherence Allison K. Ives, M.S., & Michael L. Sachs, Ph.D.. METHODOLOGY A questionnaire approved by Temple University’s IRB was distributed through an online survey link. Participants from three fitness locations (Comcast Fitness Center, Philadelphia Sports Club, and Temple University recreation facilities) were recruited through flyers, handouts, and blurbs. There were 146 (Male = 49, Female = 97) participants who volunteered to complete the questionnaires. There were 91 defined adherers and 55 non-adherers. RESULTS/TABLES INTRODUCTION A key component of managing the barriers to exercise participation can be an exerciser’s self-talk. These words, phrases, and statements can be positive or negative, and they usually influence people’s actions and decisions. These thoughts can also greatly influence exercise performance and adherence. Self-talk can motivate a person to begin, maintain, or terminate an exercise program. Because self-talk can change over time, it is important to gain information about how exercisers use it and how it may influence their adherence to exercise. It is apparent that in today’s American society that a majority of the population is having difficulties adhering to an exercise program, despite the credible health professionals and organizations who have indicated the physical and psychological benefits of regular physical activity (McAuley, 1992; Pate et al., 1995). There are clear reasons why people have perceived barriers not to adhere to an exercise program, but there is little evidence explaining the reasons why the other remaining percentage of U.S. adults chose to engage in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to exercisers’ thoughts and behaviors associated with exercise adherence. The aim was to discover an individual’s exercise self-talk and what thoughts may be preventing, or encouraging, him or her to regularly exercise. Specifically, the participants were asked questions about their exercise participation, their use of and frequency of self-talk during exercise, their beliefs about the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, and their confidence levels related to exercising despite perceived barriers. Table 1. Demographic information by fitness locationTable 2. Percentages of reasons for exercisingTable 3. Percentages of participation in exercise activities Temple University, Philadelphia, PA Comcast PSCTemple Total Gender N(%) Male15 (60) 6 (40) 28 (26.4)49 (33.6) Female10 (40) 9 (60) 78 (73.6) 97 (66.4) Age Mean SD Range Ethnicity N(%) Caucasian 22 (88.0)10 (66.7) 64 (60.4) 96 (65.8) Asian American 1 (4.0) 1 (6.7) 18 (17.0) 20 (13.7) African Amer. 2 (8.0) 2 (13.3) 14 (13.2) 18 (12.3) Hispanic 0 (0.0) 1 (6.7) 6 (5.7) 7 (4.8) Indian 0 (0.0) 1 (0.9) 1 (0.7) Other BMI Mean SD Range 0 (0.0) (6.7) (2.8) (2.7) N = 146 Str. disagree Disagree Agree Str. agree N/A Reason for exercise Have fun Positive mood Be healthy Prevent disease Socialize Train for a race Body image Lose weight Maintain weight Gain weight Get stronger Relieve stress N = 146 Str. = Strongly Bolded % = highest % Table 4. Total responses of types of self-talk M % SD Range % Brisk Walking Cycling Group Fitness Rowing Running Swimming Weight Lifting Yoga/Pilates Other N = 146 Type of Self-talk N % Example Positive/motivational “Keep going!” Negative/motivational “Keep pushing through the pain” Positive/instructional “Just legs, just keep moving the legs” Negative/instructional N/A N/A “I don’t, I listen to music” TOTAL AdherersN %Non-adherers N % Type of Self-talk Positive/motivational5257.1Positive/motivational Negative/motivationa l 6 6.6Negative/motivationa l Positive/instructional 7 7.7Positive/instructional Negative/instructional Combination N/A Negative/instructional Combination N/A TOTAL TOTAL Freq. of Self-talk % % Very often/often1718.7Very often/often %/sometimes %/sometimes Struggling/tired Struggling/tired Never 7 7.7Never Excluded 6 6.6N/A TOTAL TOTAL Adherers Non-adherers S-TQ N (%) M 88 (62.4) N (%) M 53 (37.6) SD 8.72SD 9.46 EBBS N (%) M 76 (67.3) N (%) M 37 (32.7) SD 12.25SD Self-efficacy N (%) 89 (62.7)N (%) 53 (37.3) M 14.9M SD 4.55SD 4.17 N = 146 Comcast PSCTemple S-TQ N (%) 24 (17) 15 (10.6)102(72.3) M SD EBBS N (%) 21 (18.6) 11 (9.7) 81 (71.7) M SD Self-efficacy N (%) M SD (17.6) (9.1) (73.2) N = 146 N (%) Comcast PSC Temple Type of Self-talk Positive/motivational 12 (48)10 (66.7)71(67) Negative/motivational Positive/instructional 2 (8) 4 (16) 1 (6.67) 0 (0) 4 (3.8) 7 (6.6) Negative/instructional Combination N/A 0 (0) 5 (20) 2 (8) 0 (0) 2 (13.3) 0 (0) 17 (16.04) 4 (3.8) TOTAL (N = 146) 25 (17.1) 15 (10.3)106 (72.6) Freq. of Self-talk % 10 (40) 9 (60)39(36.8) Very often/often 50%/sometimes 3 (12) 3 (20) 0 (0) 23 (21.7) 10 (9.4) Struggling/tired Never N/A 6 (24) 3 (12) 0 (0) 1 (6.67) 0 (0) 2 (13.3) 17 (16.04) 11 (10.4) 6 (5.7) TOTAL (N = 146) 25 (17.1) 15 (10.3)106 (72.6) Table 5. Distribution of types and frequencies of self-talk (adherers and non-adherers) Table 6. Descriptive statistics on the questionnaires for adherers and non-adherers Table 7. Descriptive statistics on the questionnaires by location Table 8. Total responses of types and frequencies of self-talk by location CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that the adherers perceived more benefits to exercise, as well as had higher exercise self- efficacy, compared to the non-adherers. The results of the open-ended responses indicated that the most important factors appeared to be the type of self-talk that was used during the exercise (positive/motivational was the most common response across both adherers and non-adherers), and at what point during the exercise session the self-talk was used (20% of adherers reported using self-talk during difficult points in the session). The conclusions from the study can also be used to provide an indication of how self-talk could be used to encourage initiation and maintenance of exercise. FUTURE DIRECTIONS The following recommendations should be considered for future research on self-talk and exercise. 1. Possible directions for future research on self- talk and exercise could include the comparison of former athletes’ self-talk and how that may translate into the exercise setting after retirement from their sports. 2. Other populations to explore could be the older adult population or minority populations, who were not highly represented in this study’s sample. 3. Also, other types of fitness locations, such as private or public community centers, may have different utilizations of self- talk. It would be interesting to compare the perceived benefits and barriers to exercising in facilities in different socioeconomic areas.