Berk Brown Humanities and Social Science
The Internal Gym: Engaging Internal & External Variables of Motivation in Exercise Self-Efficacy
In search of methods to best galvanize people into healthy action, our modern culture has turned health and fitness into an industry that focuses primarily on external factors such as weight, shape, and sex appeal. Though these aesthetics may work at getting people into the gym, they have not been as successful at helping them stick to their exercise routines. Statistics have consistently indicated that 50% of those who begin an exercise program abandon such regimens within three to six months. For this reason my research aims to identify which internal and external motivational factors deter and promote exercise adherence. I will do this by examining the roles that both social and physical exercise environments play in helping individuals maintain lasting habits of health. It is my hope that this project contributes to the body of knowledge in exercise psychology and ultimately aids in efforts to facilitate exercise environments that nurture positive motivators that improve exercise adherence.