Perceived barriers and motivational factors influencing engagement in physical activity.
The World Health Organisation.,(2022) defines physical activity as any bodily movement
produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. People who exercise regularly
have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type
2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers (NHS.,2021). Research from the NHS.,(2021) suggests that
adults from ages 19-64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or
75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. They also recommend strengthening activities
that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) at
least 2 days a week. (NHS.,2021).
Sedentary behaviour is defined as any waking behaviour such as sitting or leaning with an
energy expenditure of 1.5 metabolic equivalent task (MET) or less (Behaviour Research
Network.,2019). Sedentary behaviour is a risk factor for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer,
and cognitive decline (Falck et al., 2017; Kerr et al., 2017). According to Biddle et al.,(2016)
high levels of sedentary behaviour have been shown to increase the risk of all-cause mortality.
The UK analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study., (2019)
estimated that physical inactivity contributes to almost one in ten premature deaths from
coronary heart disease, and one in six deaths from any cause. Further, Sedentary behaviour was
estimated to cost the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) £0.7 billion in 2016–
2017 (Heron et al., 2019). Heron et al.,(2019) also stated in their study that A total of 69,276
deaths could potentially have been avoided in the UK if sedentary behaviour was eliminated.
,Research by the British heart foundation.,(2017) estimated that the direct financial cost of
physical inactivity is estimated to be as high as £1.2billion each year, To add to that, they also
stated that Physical inactivity also has a significantly wider impact on the UK economy of as
much as £1.5billion, and £42 billion worldwide (British Heart Foundation.,(2019). By comparing
the direct cost of physical inactivity from 2016 to 2019 it is clear that there has been a major
increase, this confirms that sedentary behaviour in the UK is a concerning issue.
It is important to understand why people have high levels of sedentary behaviour, the main issue
for the average person is low levels of motivation. Motivation is defined in multiple different
ways. According to Roberts & Treasure.,(2001) Motivation can be defined as the investigation of
the energisation and direction of behaviour. Broussard and Garrison., (2004) more broadly define
motivation as the attribute that moves us to do or not to do something. There are two types of
motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Urdan and Schoenfelder.,(2006) explain in their study that
Intrinsic motivation comes from within and causes a person to be self-determined and focused on
achieving the goal, and Extrinsic motivation is influenced by external factors, such as rewards,
punishments, and encouragement from those around. The benefits of extrinsic rewards tend to
decay over time whilst the benefits of intrinsic rewards tend to remain for a longer duration
(Stipek.,2013).
Motivation is a complex thought process, especially in sports, there are many theories
based on what drives athletes. An example of a motivation theory is bandura's self-
efficacy theory. The term self-efficacy was first manufactured by psychologist Albert
Bandura (1977) a Canadian-American psychologist and a professor at Stanford
University. Bandura.,(1977) explained that Self-Efficacy is a person’s particular set of
, beliefs that determine how well one can execute a plan of action in prospective
situations. Individuals develop their self-efficacy beliefs by interpreting information
from four main sources of influence, Mastery Experiences, vicarious experiences,
social persuasion, and Emotional/Physiological States (Bandura, 1977). Mastery
experiences refer to the experiences a person gains when they take on a new challenge
and are successful at completing it. Mastery experiences are the most influential
source of efficacy information because they provide the most authentic evidence of
whether one can muster whatever it takes to succeed (Bandura.,1977). Vicarious
experiences are often referred to as role models. Bandura.,(1977) stated Seeing people
similar to oneself succeed through sustained effort raises observers beliefs that they
too possess the capabilities to master comparable activities to succeed. The third
source of self-efficacy is social persuasion also known as verbal persuasion.
Redmond.,(2010) stated Self-efficacy is influenced by encouragement and
discouragement pertaining to an individual’s performance or ability to perform. The
final source of self-efficacy is Emotional/Physiological States. The physical and
psychological well-being of a person can influence how they feel about their personal
abilities in particular situations Garrido.,(2020). However, Bandura.,(1977) explained
that it is not the sheer intensity of emotional and physical reactions that is important
but rather how one perceives and interprets them.
