How Much You Exercise Depends on Your Mindset

Casual research citation flex 💪 🤓⁣
⁣
Realized today that I share a lot of studies from other researchers… but never my own lol⁣
⁣
This was a study I conducted in 2018 and was published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2019⁣
⁣
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)⁣
⁣
Lemme break it down 👇⁣
⁣
𝗩𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦⁣
⁣
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?)⁣
⁣
Fitness Identity & Value: how much you value and identify with fitness and exercise⁣
⁣
Exercise Self-Efficacy: how likely are you to persist in your exercise goals in the face of obstacles⁣
⁣
Exercise Frequency: how much exercise you’ve gotten in the last 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year⁣
⁣
𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦⁣
⁣
There is a significant relationship between MINDSET and EXERCISE FREQUENCY ⁣
⁣
So, the stronger your growth mindset, the more likely you are to exercise more frequently.⁣
⁣
BUT this relationship is mediated by fitness value/identity and self-efficacy.⁣
⁣
Which means…⁣
⁣
Growth mindset increases value/identity and increases self-efficacy… and BECAUSE OF THIS, we see greater exercise frequency.⁣
⁣
𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗟⁣
⁣
This study provides an example of the importance of your mindset when it comes to how often you exercise.⁣
⁣
But, it’s not just a direct relationship between growth mindset ➡️ and more exercise.⁣
⁣
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)⁣
⁣
And it’s that increase in “good stuff” that likely leads you to exercising more.⁣
⁣
TLDR:⁣
⁣
📊 Mindset is a science. Statistics and all.⁣
⁣
And mindset matters for your health behavior change endeavors, according to science.⁣