Chapter 2 : Behaviour Modification
People understand the need to exercise but have many excuses: work, time, stress, timings
Most behaviours we adopt are from our environment: forces of social influence: family, friends,
peer, homes, schoo, workplaces, tv, radio, movies, communities, country and culture
Environment we live in is toxic for fitness and wellness
Modern society( escalator, unsafe jogging zones, cars for minimal distances, large food servings,
automatic doors,hours of tv/net) hinder the ability to physical active and adopt healthy
behaviours
Childhood to adulthood we observe, we learn, we emulate, and we incorporate these behavior
Thinking about physical activity fitness in middle age when it is too late
Barriers to Change:
1. Procrastination: delaying the time to change
a. Tip: why wait till tomorrow. Lack of motivation is key factor in Procastination
2. Precondition cultural belief: if we believe our environment has significant effect on us, our
cultural and physical surrounds become barriers
a. Tips: find someone who will simultaneously work with you to pass this barrier
3. Gratification: instant gratification to long term benefits (overeat vs weight gain)
a. Tips: think ahead, howd you feel. What happened
4. Rick Complacency: Consequences of unhealthy behaviors don’t manifest until years later, “I’ll
deal with diabetes when I get it, let me eat my cake”
a. Tip: How long do you want to live for, eat the cake live till tom, don’t eat it live till 3000
5. Complexity: being overwhelmed by the effort, word that’s need for healthy lifestyle
a. Tips: 1 step at a time
6. Indiference and Helpessness: a defeatist thought process takes over, and neglect effects of bad
lifestyle/health, reject idea of control over our health
a. Tips:2/3 of deaths are preventable, you have the power
7. Rationalization: not practicing healthy behavior but lying about it to yourself that your healthy
a. Tips: Face fats, your minizing issues
8. Illusions of invincibility: belief unhealthy behaviours will not harm them, perceive low risk in
high risk situation
a. Realize no one is immune to sickness, disease , tragedy, implement healthy life style =
long life
When we get older, mid age, and our health , and appearance deteriorate its is hard to become healthy
because of the constant abuse over the years
Motivation and Locus of ControL:
Motivation is the key to success, motivation is the desire and will to do something.
o Motivation comes from within but external factors can trigger inner desire
Locus of Control : a concept examining the extent to which a person believe her or she can
influence the external environment, related to motivation
o Internal Locus of Control: people believe they have control over the events in their live
o Healthier, best adjustment to wellness program than who believe they have no
control/powerless External Locus of Control: people believe that whappens to them is a result of chance/ or
environment, is unrelated to their behvaiour
Sense of control is important when illness strike
No one is completely external or internal, they fall on the continuum
Three Impediment s the keep people from taking action
Problem of competence: lacking the ability to get a given task done leads to reduced
competence
o Solution: master the skills you don’t have, try them and test them out
Problem of Confidence: when you have skill but do not believe you can get it done: fear and
feelings of inadequacy takeover, and affect performance
o Solution: give it a fair try, visualize getting the task done/doing it.
o Lackof Confidence arises when the task is insurmountable
Break it down into parts, ensures more success
Problems of Motivation: combination of confidence and competence are there, but people are
unwilling to change because of the lack of importance, goals and knowledge
o Goals determine motivation, and how badly you want something
o Greater understanding helps people understand the severity of the probem
Changing Behaviour:
Psychotherapy has helped people, people do not ask for professional help, independently try to
change themselves,
Simpliest model of change: two step model
o Either you do it, or you don’t
o Need knowledge to change
Transtheoretical Model:
Changing unhealthy behavior to healthy/stable behavior is difficult
Change happens in gradual steps, aide of the change Pscyhologist: James P, John Norcross, Carlo
Di Clemente developed the TMSC
o 5 stages, pre contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance,
termination/ adaopt: model is used to change health related bhaviour, sedentary life,
smoking, bad nutrition, weight, stress, alcohol
o Process will help you identify processes to make changes successfully
1. Precontemplation: unwilling and reluctant to change behavior(ignorant)
Not considering or do not want change, denial of problem, and avoid knowledge of the problem
Unaware, lack knowledge of the topic/problem.
People around them have identified their problem
Actives resistance to change, accept unhealthy behavior as fate
Educating them is critical for their change process
Challenge is to prove to people they are responsible for their health.
Pressure from people they respect, and job requirement – change
Contemplation: considering change behavior within in the next 6 month
Thinking about seriously overcoming problem, not ready for change
Thinking about pros, vs cons. People can be in this stage for years but mentally they plan on change in the next 6 month
Preparation: getting ready to make change in the next month
Seriously considering change/ planning to change a behavior within the next motnh.
Try new behaviours for short periods, stop smoking for one day.
Define general goal for behavior change
Continued peer and environmental support are helpful
Action: actively changing a negative behavior or adopting a new behavi
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