Self-enactable technique use and physical activity: A comparative qualitative study of habit formation and maintenance

There is minimal empirical evidence on which techniques effectively promote physical activity habit formation. This qualitative study addresses this knowledge gap by identifying the self-enactable techniques that people with varying levels of physical activity experience and habit strength use to support their own physical activity behavior and form or maintain habits. Novice (n = 8), intermediate (n = 8), and expert (n = 8) exercisers were recruited via purposive sampling to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed with deductive content analysis and inductive thematic analysis. Forty-five self-enactable techniques were frequently reported in at least one of the experience groups. Thematic analyses indicated seeming differences in technique use across experience levels, from information seeking and support among novices, to acceptance and overcoming initiation inertia among intermediates, to environmental restructuring and personal growth among experts. Increasing experience also seemed associated with a greater focus on the short-term benefits of physical activity and flexible, broad-based automatic approaches to planning and self-regulation. Within-person longitudinal studies using validated measures that capture nuance in technique use can improve scientific understanding of habit formation processes in physical activity.