Table of Contents
Background:
Most people actually change their exercise habits on their own. When they are asked what brought about the change, they often say they just “I just thought about it and decided it was time.” In some way, they evaluated the consequences of their on again off again activity patterns and the pros and cons of becoming more active. The pros for activity out weighed the cons and they made the decision to change. Weighing the pros and cons of changing happens all the time. Examples include changing jobs or deciding to move or get married. You can do the same thing with the costs of changing on one side, and the benefits of changing on the other side. This process will help you look at the good things and less good things about becoming more active. To change, the scale needs to tip so the costs outweigh the benefits. This is called Decisional Balancing and is the subject of the Decisional Balance: Exercise Scale.
Psychometrics:
The barriers and benefits of exercise (along with perceived self-efficacy and interpersonal support for exercise) were significant predictors of stage of exercise adherence for older US adults. For full description see:
Nigg, C.R., Rossi, J.S., Norman, G.J. & Benisovich, S.V. (1998). Structure of decisional balance for exercise adoption. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 20, S211.
Author of Tool:
Nigg, C. R.
Key references:
Nigg, C.R., Rossi, J.S., Norman, G.J. & Benisovich, S.V. (1998). Structure of decisional balance for exercise adoption. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 20, S211.
Nigg, C. R., & Riebe, D. (2002). The Transtheoretical Model: Research review of exercise behavior and older adults, (pp. 147-180). In P. Burbank & D. Riebe (Eds.), Promoting exercise and behavior change in older adults: interventions with the Transtheoretical Model. Springer Publishing Company.
Primary use / Purpose:
This scale measures positive and negative aspects of decisions to exercise during lesuire time.
Decisional Balance Scale: Exercise
This section looks at positive and negative aspects of exercise. Read the following items and indicate how important each statement is with respect to your decision to exercise or not to exercise in your leisure time. Please answer using the following 5-point scale:
- 5 = Not Important
- 4 = A little bit important
- 3 = Somewhat important
- 2 = Quite important
- 1 = Extremely Important
If you disagree with a statement and are unsure how to answer, the statement is probably not important to you. How important are the following opinions in your decision to exercise or not to exercise?
| 1. | I would have more energy for my family and friends if I exercised regularly. |
| 2. | I would feel embarrassed if people saw me exercising. |
| 3. | I would feel less stressed if I exercised regularly. |
| 4. | Exercise prevents me from spending time with my friends. |
| 5. | Exercising puts me in a better mood for the rest of the day. |
| 6. | I feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in exercise clothes. |
| 7. | I would feel more comfortable with my body if exercised regularly. |
| 8. | There is too much I would have to learn to exercise. |
| 9. | Regular exercise would help me have a more positive outlook on life. |
| 10. | Exercise puts an extra burden on my significant other. |
SCORING: 1,3,5,7,9 pros; 2,4,6,8,10 cons