Exercise Adherence

“If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” — Dr Robert Butler, former Director, National Institute on Aging.

Exercise adherence refers to the extent to which a person keeps up an active involvement in physical exercise — following the advised interval, dose and dosing regimen — despite the opportunities and pressures to withdraw. It covers not only initiating physical activity but also maintaining it according to individual need.

Adherence is closely tied to the “stickability” factor: the quality that lets an athlete or participant carry on with sport, exercise or any physical activity without losing the motivation to continue. It can therefore be described as a self-regulated, voluntary behaviour aimed at keeping up an exercise routine over a long period, after the initial phase of adoption. …