Description

Author

Candace S. Brown (Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Motivated Cognition and Aging Brain Lab, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA)

J. James Cotter (School of Allied Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA)

Diane Dodd-McCue (School of Allied Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA)

Amy G. Huebschmann (Center for Women’s Health Research and Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA)

Abstract

Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of premature morbidity and mortality. Thus, there is value in studying barriers to and motivators of exercise. Although the barriers and motives to exercise among sedentary Black women have been well studied, knowledge is limited regarding exercise motives among Black women who exercise regularly. Information on intrinsic motives of long-term exercise is particularly lacking. Therefore, using a parallel mixed methods research design, based on survey work and phenomenological techniques, this study provides a rare example of phenomenological mixed research, aimed at understanding the intrinsic motives of Black women triathletes who exercise regularly. Survey data pertaining to exercise motivation from 121 Black women triathletes were analyzed and 12 women were interviewed. Subthemes of social support, camaraderie, and family, and the subtheme of completeness supported the hypothesis that the constructs affiliation and life meaning (measured via the survey), respectively, represent intrinsic motives. Unexpectedly, a subtheme of spirituality related to spiritual reflection during exercise was identified. Overall, study findings indicate that future exercise interventions for sedentary Black women might be improved by promoting exercise as an opportunity to: (a) affiliate with other supportive Black women, (b) enhance life balance, and (c) take time for spiritual reflection during exercise.