| Three percent or less of American adults practice five basic lifestyle habits that promote longevity and well-being: good nutrition, regular physical activity, healthy weight maintenance, no tobacco use, and moderate alcohol consumption. Framed by the transtheoretical model of behavior change, this study explored what motivated 12 demographically diverse adults to adopt the five basic healthy lifestyle practices, what strategies they used to adopt and sustain them, how they reevaluated their sense of "self" after deciding to adopt them, and how they negotiated their self-care needs in relation to the needs of others. From an interpretative phenomenological analysis, the data revealed motivations based on a desire for holistic wellness and long-term health, which were influenced by the participants' family members, who served either as positive role models or as negative examples of poor lifestyle choices. Other motivations included childhood interests in sports, desires to be role models for others, desires to perform well in careers that demanded mental and physical fitness, and the use of physical fitness as a stress reliever. Regarding the strategies used to achieve their goals, the participants reported using eight of the 10 processes of change identified by the transtheoretical model. Participants described the self-reevaluation and self-liberation processes as instrumental in the progression from contemplation to preparation or action. Finally, participants revealed conflicted feelings about prioritizing their own self-care needs, but their strong desires to live long, holistically healthy lives motivated them to balance their needs among their many other responsibilities. |
