Scales, measuring tapes, salads, and palates classes – America is in a frenzy of fitness fever and health consciousness as the awareness of obesity, heart disease, and depression become more prominent in society. Health education is becoming more emphasized in schools and people are slowly beginning to turn to a more active lifestyle. Even television shows, i.e. NBC’s the Biggest Loser, are pushing for this change. Sadly, even though many of us know the benefits of exercise, we tend to stay glued to our laptops rather than going outside for a nice jog. According to research, exercising is a healthy habit and is beneficial to everyone. Not only does it lower the risk of heart disease, but also heightens self-esteem and our sense of well-being, among many other things. Although people are aware of its benefits, most people do not engage in regular exercise, and according to researchers Puente and Anshel, fifty percent of beginner exercisers drop out of their exercise plan in the first few months. This doesn't look too good for those of us that cling to our laptops and comfy bed.
For people who have never exercised before, exercising can be the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced. Lacking self-motivation and having a high level of self-conscious, beginner exercisers often seek help from other people, particularly professional trainers. According to the US bureau of Labor, the demand of fitness trainers has increased from about 16,000 in 2008 to approximately 20,000 in 2010. It is expected to grow as more and more people turn to others for help. However, does hiring a trainer or joining a fitness club really help?
Although it seems reasonable for beginner exercisers to seek help from trainers, a benefit may not always be the result. If the trainer and exerciser are unable to communicate on friendly terms things may not go so well and the search for motivation is blocked. To better understand the relationship between instructors and exercisers, researchers Rogelio Puente and Mark Anshel conducted a study where they surveyed college students and the factors that influence their motivation to continue exercising.
Rogelio Puente and Mark Anshel focused their study on the influence of a fitness instructor. In their research, a fitness instructor was defined as any person who helps an exerciser engage in their activities. This includes friends, family members, coaches, and professional trainers. In the study, Puente and Anshel were observing these things: instructor-exerciser interaction affects the motivation to be personally independent and to perform well; and the level of motivation affects the enjoyment of exercise and how often that person exercises. These hypotheses were derived from the self-determination theory (SDT), which suggests that a person’s level of motivation varies and the variance affects the physical and mental health of that person.
To carry out this study, Puente and Anshel obtained 238 volunteers that were undergraduate students in the Midwestern United States. The volunteers were asked to fill out six different surveys that measured motivation; support of coaches or fitness instructors according to the individual; performance; independence; positive and negative behavior effects; and enjoyment of the activities. The answers from the volunteers gave support to the hypotheses; therefore, indicating that an exerciser’s willingness to exercise can be greatly influenced by their interactions with their instructors.
According to the study, the more supportive and positive an instructor is the better the performance, as well as the self-motivation, of the exerciser. This results in gaining pleasure and enjoyment from the activities and will become less dependent on outside (i.e. instructors) encouragement and become more independent, 
exercising without their help. Exercising will be more enjoyable and fun rather than goal oriented.
The researchers also tested a method of preparing an exercise routine. The trainers were required to have a list of activities for the exerciser to choose from. This list provided a list of options allowing the exerciser to have freedom, while also having some control of their own fitness. Exercisers chose activities they enjoyed which resulted in a greater amount of participation. From the research we can see this relationship: instructor → motivation → consistent exercising → Self-motivation → enjoyment → independence.
Before you set down your laptop and change your thoughts about jogging think first “will I enjoy this?” If no, think of something better for you to do that will encourage you to continue exercising. The lesson learned here is that, we can’t force ourselves to do something we don’t like, nor can anyone else. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t find alternatives that are more favorable to us. If independent exercisers can find their own rhythm of exercise, so can the rest of us. Instructors may be able to influence us by affecting our moods, but only we can control how to use that influence efficiently. Self-motivation and enjoying what you’re doing is the key. So, how about bike riding with some friends or playing street soccer with your buddies instead? It sounds good to me.
References: PUENTE, R. and ANSHEL, M. H. (2010), Exercisers’ perceptions of their fitness instructor's interacting style, perceived competence, and autonomy as a function of self-determined regulation to exercise, enjoyment, affect, and exercise frequency. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51: 38–45. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00723.x
"Athletic Trainers." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web. 18 Mar. 2011.
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