Action planning, or implementation intentions, (BélangerGravel
et al. 2013; Gollwitzer 1999) is one avenue that can
have the potential to promote exercise behavior and adher-ence.
Namely, implementation intentions are concrete plans that specify in an if-then format when, where, and
how a person intends to carry out an activity (Gollwitzer 1999).
Implementation intentions can help individuals who intend to
pursue a goal and are in the action-planning (volitional) phase
(Schwarzer 2001) with regards to reaching and maintaining their goals (Bélanger-Gravel et al. 2013).
Specifically, implementation
intentions create contingencies between a cue in the
environment (e.g., if ‘it is 5 pm after work’) and the goal-directed
behavior (e.g., then ‘I will go to the gym’). Imple-mentation
intentions are highly effective in promoting health-enhancing
behaviors (e.g., medication adherence, physical activity),
as summarized in a meta-analysis of 94 studies that
produced an average effect size of 0.65 (Cohen’s d; Gollwitzer
and Sheeran 2006).