How You Felt About Gym Class May Impact Your Exercise Habits Today
- 2018-08-23
- The New York Times
People tended to harbor vivid memories of gym class, a new study found. The results could have implications for motivating adults to stay physically active.
The result may have implications for our understanding of exercise motivation and also for how we should introduce our children to sports and movement.
There are many reasons so many of us are sedentary, but most behavioral scientists agree that our attitudes about exercise play a defining role. If we expect exercise to be fun and enjoyable, we often will exercise. If not, we won’t.
But the results do remind us that how we feel about exercise is important in prompting us to move or remain still and that, in order to instill positive attitudes toward exercise, we may want to rethink some of the emphases in school-based physical education programs, Mr. Ladwig says.