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Abstract
This study assessed the influence of fitness- and health-related goal setting on exercise adherence. Students (N=104) in a community college fitness program were randomly assigned, after stratification by letter grade versus credit only and self-motivation score, to one of three groups: goal setting (GS), reading (R), or control (C). Every other week, the GS group received written goal setting information and strategies, whereas the R group chose fitness-related and health-related articles to read. The C group received no communication during the 16-week intervention. At the conclusion of the study, analysis of variance results indicated no significant differences among the three groups in exercise adherence. Subjects enrolled for letter grade, however, had a significantly greater number of fitness center visits and total hours of activity than those enrolled for credit only (p<.05). Chi square analysis also confirmed that self-motivation was a significant factor (p<.05) in greater exercise adherence. It was concluded that written goal setting strategies, without personal contact, were not effective in improving exercise adherence, whereas letter grade enrollment and self-motivation were significant factors influencing greater exercise adherence.
