Effect of Evaluative Conditioning on the Intensity of Physical Activity of Patients in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

More specifically, post-myocardial infarction physical activity has been shown to reduce cardiac morbidity and mortality. Indeed, exercise improves cardiovascular health through mechanisms such as lowering blood pressure, weight reduction, and increased insulin sensitivity. Although there are no formal guidelines for physical activity (PA) after Myocardial Infarction, patients are encouraged to achieve 150 minutes of low-to-moderate intensity PA per week.

Nevertheless, despite the growing body of scientific evidence and the widespread dissemination of information about the benefits of PA, the recommendations have been difficult for post-myocardial infarction patients to comply with. There is evidence to suggest that post-cardiac rehabilitation patients struggle to maintain sustained PA. This may be due to a number of barriers, including fatigue, mood disorders, a lack of motivation, or kinesiophobia.

Continued improvements in monitoring physical activity and the development of policies and programs to increase activity levels appears to be a necessity. This may reduce the burden of physical inactivity and noncommunicable diseases (eg, cardiovascular disease). Therefore, one of the major challenges is to succeed in identifying the main determinants playing a role in the lack of adoption of regular PA. Indeed, targeting these determinants would ultimately allow us to improve the PA promotion strategies already in place for the population. However, maintenance of a practice over time is a complex issue that may be influenced by a multitude of factors. Among these, previous work suggests that the identification of motivational determinants of physical activity represents a relevant research object in this context.