Many people struggle to start and stick with regular exercise, even when they know it’s good for their health. The reasons behind this are often psychological—shaped by internal pressures, negative self-perceptions, or perfectionistic thinking.
A new study explores how a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy might help people overcome these barriers by changing how they think, not just what they do.
Research by Martin J. Turner and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Psychology (2025), explores the impact of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) on two individuals who were not currently engaged in regular exercise but intended to be in the near future.
The researchers found that a five-week REBT intervention helped both participants reduce self-defeating beliefs and increase their internal motivation, readiness, and confidence to exercise.
These changes were accompanied by actual increases in exercise participation in the weeks following the intervention.
REBT is a specific form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps individuals challenge irrational beliefs—such as “I must perform perfectly or I’m a failure”—and replace them with more balanced, rational perspectives.
These beliefs can undermine motivation and fuel avoidance behaviors, especially in contexts where people feel judged or inadequate, such as gyms or fitness classes.
The research team, based in the UK and Hungary, used a single-case experimental design to closely examine how REBT influenced the psychological and behavioral patterns of two adults: a 38-year-old woman from Scotland and a 34-year-old man from England.
Both participants had high levels of irrational beliefs, had not been exercising regularly, and had previously been active earlier in life. Each received five one-hour REBT sessions via videoconferencing, along with structured homework exercises.
Throughout the intervention, participants were taught to identify and challenge irrational beliefs about exercise and self-worth.
They learned to reframe thoughts like “I’m lazy if I don’t exercise” into “It’s okay to struggle, and trying is worthwhile.” These cognitive shifts were tracked using validated questionnaires and weekly check-ins over a four-month period.
The results were encouraging.
Both participants reported significant reductions in irrational beliefs and increases in self-determined motivation—a psychological measure reflecting motivation driven by personal values and enjoyment rather than guilt or obligation.
Statistical analyses confirmed these changes were not only meaningful but in some cases dramatic. For example, one participant’s irrational beliefs dropped from a score of 34 to just 8, while their self-determined motivation more than doubled.
In addition to cognitive improvements, participants reported greater readiness and confidence to change their exercise habits.
One participant began jogging again and reported using techniques from the therapy—such as self-talk and mental rehearsal—to manage anxiety and stick with her goals.
The other participant prepared for physical activity by checking his gear and increasing his walking and cycling. Social validation interviews conducted after the intervention confirmed that these changes felt personally significant and extended into other areas of life.
These findings highlight the potential of brief psychological interventions like REBT to shift how people think and feel about exercise.
While many public health strategies focus on structural barriers—like time, cost, or facility access—this study suggests that internal cognitive barriers are just as crucial to address.
Helping people change how they interpret discomfort or imperfection could make starting exercise feel less daunting and more self-directed.
From a practical perspective, REBT may offer a cost-effective way to support individuals who are motivated but feel stuck.
The intervention was delivered remotely, making it accessible and scalable, especially for people uncomfortable with in-person sessions.
The structure of the program—five weekly sessions supported by guided activities—also mirrors formats already familiar in health coaching or behavioral programs.
The study does come with limitations.
It involved only two participants, so the results cannot be generalized to broader populations without further testing.
The researchers also noted that self-reported behavior changes should ideally be validated with objective activity tracking in future studies.
Nonetheless, the detailed idiographic approach allowed for deep insights into individual experiences, showing that even within the same framework, people respond at different paces and in different ways.
While more research is needed to confirm these findings in larger and more diverse groups, this study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that addressing irrational beliefs may be a key lever for encouraging healthier behaviors.
As public health efforts continue to tackle physical inactivity, integrating psychological tools like REBT may offer a valuable addition to the exercise promotion toolkit.
Citation
Turner, M. J., Frost, N., Outar, L., Tóth, R., Tóth, L., Chadha, N., & Wood, A. G. (2025). Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for exercise: Examining self-determined motivation, alongside readiness, confidence, and motivation to exercise. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1557885. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557885
