Affective responses during physical activity predicting same day and next day physical activity in emerging adulthood: an Ecological Momentary Assessment study.

The purpose of the current study was to examine how affective responses during physical activity (PA) captured in real-time and real-world settings via Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) predicted same day and next day physical activity. During a 10-day study, physically active participants wore an accelerometer which captured PA and triggered EMA prompts during PA to capture affect (e.g. positive, negative). Additional EMA prompts captured affect during non-PA. Emerging adults (n = 80; Mage = 22.8; MBMI = 25.3; 56% White, 79% Female) completed the study. On days when emerging adults experienced an increase in their average feelings of energy during PA compared to non-PA occasions, they tended to engage in more PA the same day. On days when emerging adults experienced an increase in their average feelings of fatigue during PA compared to non-PA occasions, they tended to engage in less PA the next day. Positive and negative affect during PA, compared to non-PA, was not associated with same or next day PA. There is inconsistent evidence that affective responses during PA can predict same day and next day PA. Future work should examine the affect-physical activity link among those who are insufficiently active and across person-specific micro-timescales.