Self-Control and Exercise: A Review of the Bi-Directional Relationship
Open accessAbstract
Self-control has been defined as the mental capacity of an individual to alter, modify, change or override their impulses, desires, and habitual responses. In this review, we will discuss the bi-directional nature of the relationship between self-control and exercise. In brief, higher levels of trait self-control have been associated with greater exercise performance and adherence; whilst the depletion of state self-control has been shown to decrease performance and persistence on subsequent exercise tasks requiring self-control. In the opposite direction, long-term participation in exercise (and improved physical fitness) has been demonstrated to enhance self-control. Furthermore, an acute bout of exercise has been shown to enhance subsequent self-control, particularly when the exercise is of a moderate intensity and requires some degree of cognitive engagement. Throughout, when discussing each of these relationships, evidence will be drawn from other aspects of the review, where appropriate, to enhance our understanding of the observed effects. Finally, recommendations for future research will be made; including the importance of considering the bi-directional nature of the relationship, given that this has implications for our understanding of both self-control and exercise performance and adherence.
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Poorer cognitive control is a robust predictor of inadequate PA maintenance.
“Notably, poorer cognitive control is also a robust predictor of inadequate PA maintenance (28, 93), suggesting that poorer cognitive control is likely to present barriers both for initial acquisition of self-regulatory skills for PA engagement and utilization of these skills for maintenance over time.”
From The Role of Exercise in Management of Mental Health Disorders: An Integrative Review (2021) · cites this paper as [28]
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The Role of Exercise in Management of Mental Health Disorders: An Integrative Review
Smith, P. J., & Merwin, R. M. (2021) · Annual Review of Medicine · doi:10.1146/annurev-med-060619-022943 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
- Authors
- Boat, R., & Cooper, S. B.
- Affiliations
- Nottingham Trent University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Boat, Ruth
- Venue
- Brain Plasticity
- Publisher
- IOS Press
- Published
- 2019-06
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 97-104
- ISSN
- 2213-6304 (ISSN-L)
- 2213-6312
- PMC
- PMC6971834
- OpenAlex
- W2995712977
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 74
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Brain Plasticity (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Keywords
- self-control, physical activity, exercise adherence, exercise performance, trait self-control, acute exercise effects, physical fitness, cognitive engagement, bidirectional relationship
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