Thirteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

The health and well-being benefits of physical activity are well-documented. Building on the Self-Determination Theory, we hypothesize that the beneficial effects of physical activity may differ based on the quality of one’s motivation to exercise. A cross-sectional study in 335 adults was conducted. Exercise motivation was assessed using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). A cluster analysis was performed to identify motivational profiles. Mean differences on basic psychological needs, physical activity levels, subjective well-being, subjective health and BMI were investigated for the observed motivational profiles. A four-cluster solution was identified based on the degree of controlled and autonomous motivation. The profiles with high autonomous motivation report higher physical activity levels, but those with co-existing controlled motivation experience less well-being benefits as they report worse subjective health and more negative affect than those without co-existing controlled motivation. Building on the Self-Determination Theory, this study demonstrates that quality of exercise motivation matters as controlled motivation is associated with lower well-being and seems to offset the beneficial associations of autonomous motivation. We argue that quality of exercise motivation should be considered in the context of well-being promotion to guarantee beneficial outcomes.