The Transtheoretical Model of Change explains that intentional behavior change occurs in different stages. One stage helps them get to the next. It explains that there are 6 different stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. When a person is in the precontemplation stage of change, this person does not have any intentions of change. In the contemplation stage, the person is intending on making a change in their behavior soon. In the next stage, which is preparation, the individual is actually starting to make plans to change. In the action stage of change, the person is actually starting to make changes in their life to stop their behavior. The maintenance stage is when a person is taking the steps to sustain their chain and resist any relapse. And in the final stage of change, known as termination, the person made a change and has no temptation to go back to their old bad habit.
Physical activity is really anything that involves moving your body, whether that be going for a walk or going to the gym and lifting weights. according the CDC website, the guidelines for adults ages 18-64 involving exercise are “2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobics activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups”. By exercising, an individual can control their weight by either losing it or gaining it, reduce their risks of some types of cancers, reduce their risk of getting diabetes, improve their mental health and strengthen their muscles as well as their bones. It helps people to maintain their health and reduce their risks of getting sick, which most people don’t want.
In regards to exercising, I am in the preparation stage of change. I don’t usually exercise regularly but I am going to make a change about that soon. The preparation stage is defined as someone who is actively planning to change their habits. I usually don’t have the time to go and exercise but I want to change that so that I can get myself in better health. My decisional balance for exercising. One aspect of the Transtheoretical Model is Decisional Balance. Decisional Balance involves the pros and cons of making a change. My decisional balance is that there are more pros to exercising than there are cons. My decisional balance does correspond to the stage of change I am in currently, which is the preparation stage. I am starting to make plans to exercise and all of the pros to exercising are motivation for me to do so, since they outweigh the reasons not to exercise.
My top three processes of change are Self Reevaluation, Social Liberation, and Reinforcement Management. Through self reevaluation, I know that exercise is good for me. It can help me to feel better about myself, as well as make sure my health is in good form. In everyday life, I constantly see celebrities as well as people I personally know exercising on a daily or weekly basis. They are exercise to make themselves feel better about their bodies and also making sure that they are healthy. It helps me to know that I am not the only one who wants to take care of my body. They also make me want to exercise more because they feel so good about themselves from doing so. And through reinforcement management, I know that by exercising, I will not only looks better, but I will feel better both mentally and physically. Many people believe that exercise is only to take care of your body, but it can also be a release for all of the stress an individual has built up. Their minds are more clear and they also have more energy to do the things they love to do.
My self efficacy levels for exercising under stressful conditions are pretty confident. If I really want to exercise, bad weather and people not wanting me to exercise won’t hold me back from doing so. It helps that I live on campus, so I am only a walk away from most of y friends and only a few minutes away from the school’s gym. Once I actually get to going to the gym, neither of things will hold me back from doing so as they are so close to me that traveling to the gym and back won’t take me as long as it would if I lived at home and my gym was twenty minutes away from me . Through this process, I learned that the only thing really holding me back from exercising is myself. If I really want to exercise, I have the time to do so. All I really need to do is manage my time better, and make sure I make time to get my assignments done and have days designated for the gym.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, June 4). The Benefits of Physical Activity. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
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Taking Care of YOU 