Advances in Physical Activity and Exercise for Health and Human Performance
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 80
Special Issue Editor
Interests: self-determination theory; physical education; physical activity; exercise; health; human performance; autonomy; competence; relatedness; trans-contextual model of motivation; motivation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, the promotion of physical activity and well-being among children and adolescents has become a global public health priority. Increasingly, research has emphasized the importance of understanding the motivational processes that underlie health-enhancing behaviors. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this Special Issue will bring together high-quality contributions that explore how social-environmental factors, such as autonomy-supportive teaching, parenting practices, and peer interactions, foster or undermine individuals’ basic psychological needs and, therefore, influence their motivation and engagement in physical activity and related health behaviors.
This Special Issue also welcomes studies that integrate SDT with complementary frameworks, such as the Trans-Contextual Model of Motivation, to explore how motivation in structured settings (e.g., physical education) transfers to leisure-time domains. Further, this Special Issue encourages submissions that apply innovative methods and interventions (e.g., mindfulness training, digital tools, teacher training programs) designed to support motivation and optimize 24-hour movement behaviors, including physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep.
By highlighting both theoretical advancements and practical applications, this Special Issue will advance our understanding of how to effectively promote sustainable health behaviors across contexts and developmental stages.
Dr. Henri Tilga
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- self-determination theory
- physical activity
- motivation
- autonomy support
- health behavior change
- intervention
- trans-contextual model of motivation
- psychological need satisfaction
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