Effects of Short-Term Goal Setting on Enjoyment and Session Rating of Perceived Exertion during a Rowing Task.

Goal setting and enjoyment are key components in adherence to any exercise program; however, little research has examined short-term goal setting exercise interventions. This study aimed to explore the effects of short-term goal setting on enjoyment and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) during a rowing exercise task. Twenty-five physically active participants completed two rowing exercise sessions on separate occasions under a repeated measures design. Each participant completed one session under the experimental condition and one session under the control condition. The experimental session included using a pacer on the interactive rower screen during two separate rowing bouts, which served as a goal setting simulation. In both conditions, participants set goals for their second rowing bout. Results showed non-significant differences between conditions for enjoyment, sRPE, heart rate, and distance rowed. Results showed a significant difference for distance rowed from exercise bout one to exercise bout two in both the control condition (p = .002) and experimental condition (p = .029). The results of this study have relevance for applied practitioners implementing physical activity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]