NASM Chapter 4 Key Words

Physical activity

Bodily movement that results in energy expenditure and encompasses many modes and intensities. Movement that is not structured exercise such as recreational pursuits (e.g., golfing, gardening, and walking a dog).

Adherence

The level of commitment to a behavior or plan of action.

Autonomy

Acting in accordance with how one wants to behave.

Intrinsic motivation

When people engage in an activity or behavior because they feel a sense of satisfaction.

Third space

A communal space, separate from home or work, where the client experiences their own sense of identity and relationship to others.

Behavior change techniques (BCTs)

Client interventions that are used to change some determinant of behavior.

Self-efficacy

One’s belief that they can complete a task, goal, or performance; also known as self-confidence.

Ambivalence

Describes a person’s state of mixed feelings about a situation.

Self-monitoring

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

Determinants of behavior

Refers to the psychological, social, or environmental factors that influence behavior.

Intention

A construct that captures motivational factors that influence behavior. It indicates how hard people are willing to try and how much effort they are planning to exert.

Self-determination theory

A broad theoretical framework for the study of human motivation.

Autonomous motivation

When motives for exercise relate to valuing the outcome, when exercise is consistent with the client’s identity, or when the client enjoys exercise.

Planning

A concrete representation of when and where exercise will occur.

Attitudes

The degree to which a person has a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the behavior of interest.

Outcome expectations

The expected positive and negative consequences of a behavior.

Stress

The state of mental or emotional tension from demanding circumstances.

Perceived behavioral control

An evaluation of whether one has the means, resources, and opportunities to perform a behavior.

Affective judgment

Referring to expected pleasure or enjoyment.

Subjective norms

Belief that an important person or group of people will approve and support a behavior.

Precontemplation

Client does not exercise and is not planning to start exercising within 6 months.

Contemplation

When a person is thinking about implementing change but has not yet taken any steps to get started; an individual may take action within the next 6 months.

Preparation

The client intends to act in the near future, usually within the next month.

action

The client has made specific modifications in their exercise routine within the past 6 months.

Maintenance

The client has been exercising for more than 6 months and is working to prevent relapse.

Decisional balance

Reflects the clients’ weighing of the pros and cons of changing.

Empathy

The ability to identify with another person’s feelings, attitudes, or thoughts.

Rapport

A relationship in which two people understand each other’s ideas, have respect for one another, and communicate well.

Reflective listening

The process of seeking to understand the meaning of the speaker’s words and restating the idea back to the speaker to confirm that they were understood correctly.

Active listening

Listening style that involves having genuine interest in what the speaker is saying; requires the listener to fully concentrate to understand the speaker’s message.

Closed-ended questions

Directive questions that can be answered with one word, typically a yes or no.

Open-ended questions

Nondirective questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no; they require critical thinking to formulate a response.

Collecting summaries

Short sentences that continue the client’s thoughts and add momentum to the conversation.

Linking summaries

Summaries that tie together information the client has presented, perhaps even from previous sessions.

Transitional summaries

Summaries used to wrap up a session or announce a shift in focus.

Affirmations

Positive statements about character strengths.

Motivational interviewing

Client-centered, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.

Self-discrepancy

An internal conflict that occurs when an individual compares their actual self with their ideal self.

Sustain talk

Talk that represents and predicts movement away from change.

Change talk

Talk that reflects movement of the person toward behavior change.

Outcome goals

Goals focused on the end result.

Process goals

Tasks that are pursued to reach a final outcome.

Implementation intentions

A behavior change technique that links a goal-directed response to situational cues by specifying when, where, and how to act.

Coping plans

A behavior change technique that involves anticipating barriers to goal action and proactively preparing strategies that prioritize intentional behavior over counterproductive habitual responses.

Self-talk

Internal dialogue in which the individual interprets feelings and perceptions, regulates and changes evaluations and convictions, and gives himself or herself instructions and reinforcement.

Reverse listing

Replacing negative statements with positive statements.

Stopping

The act of saying “stop” out loud to undesired statements.

Cognitive fusion

When people believe the exact content of their own thoughts.

Imagery

The process created to produce internalized experiences.

Appearance imagery

When a person imagines appearance or healthrelated outcomes.

Energy imagery

When a person creates mental images that increase energy and/or relieve stress.

Technique imagery

When individuals mentally rehearse their technique.

Psyching up

The process to get oneself into a state of psychological readiness for performance.