Mediating Mechanisms in a Physical Activity Intervention: A Test of Habit Formation.

Background: A recent randomized controlled trial found that an intervention focused on developing an exercise habit increased weekly minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over 8 wk compared to a control group. The purpose of the current study was to test if changes in habit, as well as other behavioral strategy constructs from the Multi-Process Action Control Test, mediated between group condition and MVPA (self-report and accelerometry).

Methods: Inactive new gym members (N = 94) were randomized into control or experimental (habit-building) groups.

The role of habit in different phases of exercise.

Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how habit strength in a preparatory and performance phase predicts exercise while accounting for intention. The secondary purpose was to determine the strength of potential habit antecedents (affective judgement, perceived behavioural control, consistency, and cues) in both exercise phases.

Design: This was a prospective study with measures collected at baseline and week 6.

Increasing Physical Activity Through Principles of Habit Formation in New Gym Members: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The promotion of physical activity (PA) is paramount to public health, yet interventions in the social cognitive tradition have yielded negligible improvements. The limited progression may be due to an overreliance on intention as the proximal determinant of behavior and a lack of consideration of implicit/automatic processes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a habit formation intervention on PA over 8 weeks in a two-arm parallel design, randomized controlled trial.