Psychosocial, behavioral, and biometric characteristics of stages of exercise adoption

This study incorporates the Stages of Change model to examine the relationship between the stages of exercise adoption and indicators of health and fitness. Subjects were 198 United States Forest Service (USFS) workers recruited from 8 USFS ranger stations in the Pacific Northwest. Analysis indicated that those subjects in Action and Maintenance stages of exercise adoption differed significantly from those in Preparation and Precontemplation/Contemplation stages on a variety of indicators of both health and fitness. Also, interesting differences were noted among the physically inactive stages, e.g., Preparation stage subjects showed lower triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and higher HDL cholesterol compared with subjects in the Precontemplation/Contemplation stage. Progressing to the Preparation stage, where the individual remains inactive but is aware of the problem and has begun to make small changes, is associated with a differing (more positive) health profile in this study compared to those in the Precontemplation/Contemplation stage. These results imply that simply advancing in stage can have a variety of health benefits.