Motivation To Move And Rest During Aerobic Exercise: Impacts Of Exercise Intensity

According to contemporary motivation theory (Stults-Kolehmainen, 2020), motivational states for physical activity and sedentarism are subjectively felt, are loosely coupled and change rapidly in response to environmental and physical stimuli. Previous studies have found that a maximal treadmill test results in substantial reductions in the desire to move and even greater increases in the desire to rest (pre- to post-exercise). No study to date has investigated changes in motivation states during exercise. PURPOSE: To determine the trajectory of motivation states during aerobic exercise and to ascertain whether changes in motivation states are influenced by exercise intensity. METHODS: 12 participants (9 female; age = 24 ± 9 years; BMI = 25 ± 4; VO2max = 28 ± 6 ml/kg/min) completed exercise testing and three exercise trials: moderate (Mod) for 30 mins below ventilatory threshold (VT), vigorous (Vig) for 20 mins above VT, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 20 minutes alternating between 90% and 10% peak work. Motivational state was assessed during exercise with the 2-item Cravings for Rest and Volitional Energy Expenditure (CRAVE) Scale (Filgueiras, 2022), which includes 1 item each for movement and rest. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA for motivation to move indicates a main effect for time (p = 0.02) and exercise condition (p < 0.01) but no interaction effect for time and condition (p > 0.05). Post hoc analysis indicates that motivation to move was higher for Mod compared to both HIIT and Vig (p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA for motivation to rest indicates a main effect for time (p < 0.001), exercise condition (p = 0.01), and the interaction for time and condition (p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis indicates that motivation to rest was higher for HIIT compared to Mod (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise results in alterations in motivation states for movement and rest. HIIT training resulted in lower desire to move and greater desire to rest compared to moderate training. Future studies should determine if motivation states during exercise predict future physical activity behavior, similar to affect.