RESEARCH NEWS

Are positive memories of exercise the key to motivation?

As we know for some people, the motivation to exercise can be somewhat of struggle. However, new research from the University of New Hampshire has suggested that simply remembering a positive memory about exercise may just be what is needed to get on the treadmill. The first of its kind, this study has explored how positive memories can influence future workouts.

“This study underscores the power of memory’s directive influence in a new domain with practical applications: exercise behaviours. These results provide the first experimental evidence that autobiographical memory activation can be an effective tool in motivating individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles,” researchers Mathew Biondolillo, a doctoral student in psychology at UNH, David Pillemer and Dr. Samuel E. Paul, Professor of Developmental Psychology, at UNH wrote.

The researchers observed the effects of

remembering past exercise experience on college students’ subsequent exercise intentions and behaviours. They asked 150 students to recall either a positive or negative memory that would increase their motivation to exercise; other students were not asked to recall a motivational memory (the control group). One week later, students were asked whether they had completed more exercise.

The results showed that students who remembered a positive exercise memory reported significantly higher levels of subsequent exercise than those who were not asked to recall a memory about exercise. The researchers also found that students who were asked to recall a negative exercise memory also reported exercising more than the control group, although less than the group that recalled a positive exercise memory.

You can find the full research in the journal Memory, ‘Using memories to motivate future behaviour: an experimental exercise intervention.’

www.exerciseregister.org

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