Clinical Communication What Influences Exercise Adherence with Sue Julians
Oct 6, 2025
In this engaging discussion, physiotherapist Sue Julians, a staff writer for MSK Mag, dives into the intricacies of exercise adherence. She highlights the importance of self-determination theory in motivation, emphasizing autonomy, competence, and relatedness as core factors. Sue shares insights on tailoring exercise to personality types and the influence of age and life stage on motivation. The conversation also touches on the effects of environment and hormones on exercise behavior, and Sue examines the future of physiotherapy amid rising AI technologies.
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Self-Determination Explains Exercise Stickiness
- Self-Determination Theory links autonomy, competence and relatedness to long-term exercise adherence.
- Meeting these psychological needs supports intrinsic motivation and sustained behaviour change.
Boost Autonomy By Offering Guided Choices
- Educate patients to believe the activity will meaningfully improve their life to boost autonomy.
- Offer a limited set of guided choices so patients feel agency and ownership over the plan.
Relatedness Is More Than Group Classes
- Relatedness can come from groups, role models, or feeling understood by a clinician.
- Matching patients to clinicians or groups they identify with increases trust and adherence.
