Motivation and Health Outcomes for Physical Activity

Dear Colleagues,

Promoting an active lifestyle could be one of the keys to preventing metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and many other highly prevalent psychological pathologies [1,2]. Even so, a low adherence to proposals for promoting an active lifestyle has been observed in young students, in people with non-communicable pathologies (metabolic pathologies such as diabetes, obesity), and physically sedentary people. In the process of improving healthy lifestyle habits in human beings, behavioral issues such as a lack of motivation and resistance to change may arise, while the importance of emotional regulation has been stressed. This is why scientific studies based on motivational theories and psychological approaches aimed at facilitating this change are needed to advance intervention factors to increase physical activity levels in the general population. Psychology must deal with building competencies instead of correcting deficiencies; understanding and creating positive emotions with the goal of making people happier; and attempting to complement clinical psychology, which aims to repair damage and treat diseases. In this sense, one of the theories that helps to explain people’s motivation to achieve a more active lifestyle is the Self-Determination Theory [3,4]. There are also other relevant theoretical postulates, such as the Achievement Goals Tª [5], which explains how a person can have a purpose that is more focused on the result (achievement) or the social aspect (social goals) when becoming involved in an activity. There is even more recent theoretical paradigms that derive from psychology, such as positive psychology, which tries to understand the processes that underlie the positive qualities and emotions of people, allowing them to improve their quality of life and well-being [6].

1. Lera-Lopez, F.; Ollo-López, A.; Garrués-Irisarri, M.; Cabasés, J.M. and Sánchez, E. How the relationship between physical activity and health changes with age. J. Ageing 2019, 16, 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-018-0471-6
2. Pedersen, B.K. and Saltin, B. Exercise as medicine—evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases. Scand J. Med. Sci. Sports 2015, 25, 1–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12581
3. Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Publisher: Springer, Boston, MA, USA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
4. Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Psychol. 2000, 55, 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
5. Nicholls, J.G. The competitive ethos and democratic education. Available online: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1989-97518-000 (accessed on 28 January 2022).
6. Vera Poseck, B. Psicología Positiva: Una Nueva Forma De Entender La Psicología. Available online: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=77827102 (accessed on 28 January 2022).

Dr. Noelia Belando Pedreño
Guest Editor

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