Measurement of motivation for exercise

Motivation for exercise is a theoretically and empirically significant concept that is variously measured in the literature. This paper reviews recent studies that measure motivation for exercise. The findings from 22 studies that met inclusion criteria demonstrate that there is a deficiency in the published literature regarding the establishment of the psychometric properties of reliability and validity. Only five of the 22 studies report both reliability and validity measures on an instrument. An improvement in the reporting of psychometric measures and the utilization of established tools will advance the research and science of exercise motivation. The improvement in study psychometrics has implications for practical application in the field of exercise and the more general category of health promotion.