Resistance training boosts motivation to exercise

Resistance training can help older adults stay motivated to exercise regularly, a study has found.

Resistance training can maintain and increase muscle strength and functional capacity when ageing and it is recommended for older adults at least twice a week.

However, only a few meet these recommendations. Sedentary lifestyle has unfavourable associations also with psychological functioning and mental health.

Researchers from University of Jyvaskyla in Finland investigated the effects of a nine-month supervised resistance training intervention on exercise motivation, exercise planning and exercise self-efficacy.

They examined whether these factors predict the continuation of resistance training for the next year following the intervention.

The study involved 104 healthy 65-75-year-olds who did not meet physical activity guidelines for endurance exercise at baseline and did not have previous resistance training experience.

"Nine months of regular resistance training increased the intrinsic motivation for both training and physical activity in general: the subjects started to enjoy exercising," said Tiia Kekalainen, a PhD student at University of Jyvaskyla.

"Additionally, exercise planning increased, indicating that the subjects started to think about how to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle," said Kekalainen.

After completing the supervised resistance training intervention, nearly half of the participants (46 per cent) continued resistance training independently.

About half of them participated in resistance training on average once-a-week during the following year and the other half twice-a-week.

Participants who increased their intrinsic motivation for exercise and exercise self-efficacy during the intervention were more likely to continue resistance training twice-a-week.

"The results suggest that finding intrinsic motivation for exercise and increasing confidence to maintain a physically active lifestyle contribute to continuing resistance training independently," said Kekalainen.

"These factors should be taken into account in exercise interventions and exercise in general to promote continuance of behaviour, she said.