1. It’s not the What, it’s the Why: Motivational Strategies for Health Behaviors Dr. Diane E. Whaley Colby Sawyer Exercise & Sport Sciences & Athletics Symposium March 21, 2011 http://curry.virginia.edu/academics/areas-of-study/educational-psychology

2. Lots of people intend to quit smoking, exercise, eat right - but many don’t - WHY?! Changing behaviors, particularly those related to health, takes motivation!

3. 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

4. Motives for participation must outweigh barriers! BarriersMotives Social interaction Body image Health benefits Health problems No fun

5. 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

6. But is it that simple? What motivates us to do things? Intrinsic – for the joy of it Extrinsic – want to Extrinsic – have to

7. 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

8. Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) How do we make sure of this link??

9. 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!

10. Self Regulation is… Regulating our own thoughts, feelings, & behaviors over time and contexts Cyclical process – with health behaviors, have to continue monitoring for changes! Self-reflection -self-monitoring -self-evaluation Forethought -goal setting -strategies Performance

11. Example of Self-Reflection: My Health Behaviors BehaviorIntend to change? (1-10) Know why I should? (1-10) Do what I should? (1-10) What are my barriers? Eat more fruits & veggies Exercise more often Drink more water

12. The Forethought Phase: Planning for Change Goals are an important tool for behavior change Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-contingent

13. 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?

14. 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??

15. 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”)

16. 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!

17. 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!)

18. 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!