Such conflict is subjectively aversive and can lead people to inhibit or supress one set of responses and replace them with the second set. More specifically, self-control has been defined as the mental capacity of an individual to alter, modify, change, or override, his or her impulses, desires, and habitual responses. Thus, inhibitory control is a key component of executive function and is defined as an individual’s ability to inhibit their impulses and natural, habitual, or dominant behavioral responses to stimuli, in order to select a more appropriate behavior that is consistent with completing their goals. Executive function consists of three main domains working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Executive function is vital across several life domains and is critical for academic performance in young people, workplace performance in adults, sporting performance, and the maintenance of an ability to perform the activities of daily living in older adults. Finally, recommendations for future research will be made including the importance of considering the bi-directional nature of the relationship, given that this has implications for our understanding of both self-control and exercise performance and adherence.Įxecutive functions refer to cognitive processes involved in the coordination and control of goal-directed behavior. Throughout, when discussing each of these relationships, evidence will be drawn from other aspects of the review, where appropriate, to enhance our understanding of the observed effects. Furthermore, an acute bout of exercise has been shown to enhance subsequent self-control, particularly when the exercise is of a moderate intensity and requires some degree of cognitive engagement. In the opposite direction, long-term participation in exercise (and improved physical fitness) has been demonstrated to enhance self-control. In brief, higher levels of trait self-control have been associated with greater exercise performance and adherence whilst the depletion of state self-control has been shown to decrease performance and persistence on subsequent exercise tasks requiring self-control.

In this review, we will discuss the bi-directional nature of the relationship between self-control and exercise. Self-control has been defined as the mental capacity of an individual to alter, modify, change or override their impulses, desires, and habitual responses.

Any way to override selfcontrol