The purpose of this study was to examine college students' motivations to be physically
active by merging the perspectives of self-determination theory and the transtheoretical
model. The secondary purpose was to examine the effects of a required physical activity
course on college students' levels of physical activity. The premise is that both the theory
and model can be used to help predict physical activity outcomes. Participants were 277
male and female students at a small private college. Motivation, self-determination, stage of …

Despite the many clear benefits of an active lifestyle, lack of physical activity is a significant
health problem in the college population. A key issue in physical activity research is
developing an understanding of motivation. Although physical activity takes many forms,
most research designed to enhance motivation for and adherence to physical activity
focuses on exercise behavior and ignores sport participation. In this study, the authors
compare motivations for sport participation versus exercise among college students. Results …