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How Much You Exercise Depends on Your Mindset

exercise behaviors fitness mindset growth mindset identity mindset mindset research self efficacy value May 25, 2020

Casual research citation flex πŸ’ͺ πŸ€“β£
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Realized today that I share a lot of studies from other researchers… but never my own lol⁣
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This was a study I conducted in 2018 and was published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2019⁣
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Without training in how to interpret statistics or read scientific results, this figure can be a little confusing (but left I the beta values for my stats savvy friends out there)⁣
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Lemme break it down πŸ‘‡β£
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𝗩𝗔π—₯π—œπ—”π—•π—Ÿπ—˜π—¦β£
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Fitness Mindset: how strong your growth mindset regarding fitness is (e.g. how much do you believe in your ability to become a more fit individual?)⁣
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Fitness Identity & Value: how much you value and identify with fitness and exercise⁣
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Exercise Self-Efficacy: how likely are you to persist in your exercise goals in the face of obstacles⁣
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Exercise Frequency: how much exercise you’ve gotten in the last 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year⁣
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π—₯π—˜π—¦π—¨π—Ÿπ—§π—¦β£
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There is a significant relationship between MINDSET and EXERCISE FREQUENCY ⁣
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So, the stronger your growth mindset, the more likely you are to exercise more frequently.⁣
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BUT this relationship is mediated by fitness value/identity and self-efficacy.⁣
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Which means…⁣
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Growth mindset increases value/identity and increases self-efficacy… and BECAUSE OF THIS, we see greater exercise frequency.⁣
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π—ͺ𝗛𝗬 π—§π—›π—œπ—¦ π—œπ—¦ π—₯π—˜π—”π—Ÿπ—Ÿπ—¬ π—–π—’π—’π—Ÿβ£
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This study provides an example of the importance of your mindset when it comes to how often you exercise.⁣
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But, it’s not just a direct relationship between growth mindset ➑️ and more exercise.⁣
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Having a growth mindset increases a lot of other “good stuff” like your values, what you identify with, and your self-efficacy (aka important things for sustained behavior change)⁣
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And it’s that increase in “good stuff” that likely leads you to exercising more.⁣
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TLDR:⁣
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πŸ“Š Mindset is a science. Statistics and all.⁣
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And mindset matters for your health behavior change endeavors, according to science.⁣

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