Motivational aspects and personality correlates of physical exercise behavior

Although exercise can have many advantages, there are still many people that tend to be less active. For this reason, an attempt was made to understand the factors related to physical activity and those related to encouraging exercise, which is an essential area of health promotion and a priority in preventing serious diseases. The aim of the study was to analyze psychological factors (personality traits and motivation) related to physical activity and those encouraging or reducing exercise. 474 volunteers who regularly exercise were recruited for the study. The participants completed the Big Five Questionnaire and Behavioral Regulation Exercise Questionnaire-2, and their exercise frequency was recorded. The results showed that personality traits and motivation are strongly related to exercise frequency and that both seem to play a significant predictive role in structuring exercise behavior.