NASM Section 2

Sport and exercise psychology

Subtopic of psychology that focuses on understanding why people participate in sports + exercise, including motives and barriers to participation

Ambivalence to exercise

Occurs when someone has mixed feelings about exercise and sees pros + cons to participation

Components of social support

• Source: who/what provides it

• Type: instrumental, emotional, informational, and companionship

Instrumental support

Tangible things that assist people with the ability to exercise

• providing transportation, assisting with childcare, or packing someone’s gym bag

Who can group support come from?

• family members

• parents

• exercise leaders

• exercise groups

• surrounding community

Exercise leader

Sets the tone for the class + is responsible for creating an inviting and inclusive environment

Psychological benefits of exercise

• Enhanced overall well-being

• improved mood

• better sleep quality

• increased self-esteem

• improved body image

• fewer anxiety + depression symptoms

Examples of extrinsic motivation for exercise

• social recognition

• rewards from competitions

• improvement of physical appearance

Examples of intrinsic motivation for exercise

• stress relief

• increasing energy

• finding new ways to be challenged physically

Examples of outcome goals

• place in top 10 in a 10K race

• achieving a certain level of body fat

• achieving a certain level of strength improvement

Examples of process goals

• Jog for 45 minutes, starting at 6:30 am Monday-Friday to assist with weight loss efforts

• Eating 1600 calories per day of mostly whole, unprocessed foods to assist with weight loss efforts

• Strength training 5 days per week, targeting each muscle group to increase gains in muscle mass

What are most coaching efforts directed at increasing?

Self-efficacy

Stages of change

1. Precontemplation

2. Contemplation

3. Preparation

4. Action

5. Maintenance

Active listening

Having a genuine interest in understanding the client’s health and fitness goals

• Asking appropriate questions

• Avoiding distractions and inner dialogue

• Providing appropriate feedback

Motivational interviewing

Used to enhance intrinsic motivation

• can develop a discrepancy between a client’s current state and ideal state

• promote change and talk

• assess readiness, willingness, and perceived ability to change

Cognitive strategies to help behavior change

• Positive self-talk

• Imagery

• Practice of psyching up before activity

SMART goal

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Self-monitoring

Observing, measuring, and evaluating one’s own behavior, often in the form of a diary or log

Decisional balance

Reflects the clients’ weighing of pros and cons

Examples of SMART goals

• I will gain 5 pounds of muscle within 5 months, starting today, by weight lifting a minimum of 4 days per week for 1 hour each session

• I will lose 10 pounds of body fat within 3 months by reducing my daily calories from 3,000 to 2,000 per day and exercising at a moderate intensity at a minimum of 150 minutes per week

Not a SMART goal

• I will lose weight so I can become the best version of myself

• I will gain 10 pounds of muscle, so I’m ready for beach season