An exercise habit can be defined as a learned
sequence of physical exercise that has become an automatic
response to specific situational cues, as a result
of learned cue-behavior associations (Gardner, 2015).
The situational context acquires the potential to activate
behavior in the absence of a person’s awareness, conscious
control, cognitive effort, or deliberation (Bargh,
1994). As action control is transferred to environmental
stimuli, reliance on attentional, or motivational processes
decreases (Gardner, 2015). Habits thus persist
even where conscious motivation wanes.
Exercise habits are thought to have a reciprocal relationship
with behavior where exercise habits affect
actual exercise behavior in a repetitive way but that
repetition also strengthens exercise habit formation
(Lally, van Jaarsveld, Potts, & Wardle, 2010).
Numerous research has indicated that stronger exercise
habits make exercise behavior less intentional, require
less conscious effort and making relapses less likely
(Gardner, de Bruin, & Lally, 2011). Exercise habit formation
is therefore a desired goal in exercise psychology
and has led to interventions that encourage exercise
habits, to promote long-term maintenance and closing
the intention-behavior gap (Storm, Do¨renka¨mper,
Reinwand, Wienert, & de Vries, 2015).
