Dr. Wendy M. Rodgers, Professor and Vice Dean, Faculty of Physical Education & Recreation, University of Alberta
Why do people initiate physical activity and exercise? Why do they maintain it? What does it mean to be motivated? This presentation addressed the transitions from exercise initiate to exercise maintainer and considered the differences between new exercisers and regular exercisers. These phases of exercise adoption and transitions are tied to key characteristics or types of motivation. Motivational concepts were discussed such as self-determination, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy as they relate to exercise adherence (and non-adherence) among sedentary adults.
Highlights sheet of Let's Get Physically Active! |
Video of Let's Get Physically Active! in Edmonton 87 minutes, YouTube video |
Speaker Dr. Rodgers's slides - condensed version (some Internet content removed due to copyrights) 44 slides, 11 pages, PDF |
The Alberta Centre for Active Living was proud to sponsor this important half-day Physical Activity Forum in Edmonton and Calgary in May 2015.
Wendy has been a professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta since 1993. She completed her PhD at the University of Waterloo in kinesiology, specializing in exercise psychology.
Wendy leads a team of researchers who study people’s motivation to engage in physical activity for the long term. These studies are looking at the roles of self-efficacy and self-determination in producing enduring physical activity patterns. This research work has been funded by SSHRC and currently by CIHR.
With strong collaborations, the research team is examining various factors that influence motivation and the long term effects of different motivational components on regular exercise behavior. In general, Wendy and her team are interested in supporting adults to adopt and maintain exercise for life, including all the hurdles and lapses that life will throw in their paths.
Wendy has a strong focus on graduate students, and they are central in the research work. Also she has been involved in Faculty and University governance for much of her career, and she is a strong believer in fostering collegial and collaborative environments to support excellence in scholarship.
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