Belief one can succeed in exercise works

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Access to home exercise equipment and the belief that one can succeed can make the difference in having someone exercise more, U.S. researchers said.

The study included more than 200 participants -- 84 percent female -- who were already enrolled in a randomized controlled physical activity promotion trial. All were initially sedentary and did not engage in regular physical activity, defined as at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or at least one hour of vigorous exercise per week.

At six months and a year into the program, participants completed questionnaires designed to measure 12 psychosocial variables, including: physical activity levels, the belief about one's ability to perform and succeed, physical activity enjoyment, cognitive and behavioral processes of change.

Lead author David Williams of The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Providence, R.I., said that overall, self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of physical activity status, with a 139 percent increase in the odds of being active at 12 months.

The findings are published online by the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.