Physical activity and
Health Psychology

Exercise is undoubtedly one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions made by millions of people. Unfortunately, this resolution often fails by the month of February (Luciani, 2015). The inability of individuals to translate their intentions to be physically active in into action is concerning because we are facing a pandemic of physical inactivity (Kohl et al., 2012). Each year, physical inactivity costs 67.5 billion international dollars (Ding et al., 2016) and is responsible for approximately one death every six seconds worldwide (WHO, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

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Thus, my research essentially aims to answer the question of why many individuals who intend to be physically active fail to turn these intentions into action - the mind-body problem. I argue that while the automatic attraction to effort minimization has been demonstrated in several fields, its potential role in explaining the pandemic of physical inactivity has been largely overlooked so far in exercise psychology (Cheval & Boisgontier, 2021). By considering this fundamental principle of nature whereby individuals seek to minimize energetic cost, my research not only aims to shed new light on the neuropsychological mechanisms involved in the regulation of physical activity, but also has the potential to pave the way for the development of innovative interventions aimed at counteracting the pandemic of physical inactivity.

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The purpose of this website is to present my research that started in 2010.

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References:

• Cheval, B., & Boisgontier, M. P. (2021). The theory of effort minimization in physical activity. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 49(3), 168-178. https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000252

• Ding, D., Lawson, K. D., Kolbe-Alexander, T. L., Finkelstein, E. A., Katzmarzyk, P. T., van Mechelen, W., Pratt, M., & Committee, L. P. A. S. E. (2016). The economic burden of physical inactivity: a global analysis of major non-communicable diseases. The Lancet, 388(10051), 1311-1324. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30383-X

• Kohl, H. W., Craig, C. L., Lambert, E. V., Inoue, S., Alkandari, J. R., Leetongin, G., Kahlmeier, S., & Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group. (2012). The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. The Lancet, 380(9838), 294-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60898-8

• Luciani, J. (2015). Why 80 Percent of New Year's Resolutions Fail. Retrieved from https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/2015-12-29/why-80-percent-of-new-years-resolutions-fail. 

• WHO. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Retrieved from  https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128.