Practical and clinical approaches using pacing to improve self-regulation in special populations such as children and people with mental health or learning disabilities

Abstract

Activity pacing is a practical means of supporting selfregulation in physical activity. This could be achieved through lifestyle support or in specific practical sport or physical activity situations, depending on the population. Improving the development of self-regulatory, life style exercise skills across broad population groups could be helpful in addressing deficiencies in physical activity levels, which, in turn, can be associated with additional physical or mental health problems. This

Unraveling the Role of (Meta-) Cognitive Functions in Pacing Behavior Development during Adolescence: Planning, Monitoring, and Adaptation

“…Furthermore, the demonstrated difference in pacing behavior between adolescents and adults who are recreationally active suggests that pacing behavior development is not unique to the (elite) athlete population, but rather a more general aspect of development during adolescence. The capability to self-regulate the distribution of effort over an exercise task is thought to impact the individual's feelings of competence, confidence, and enjoyment during sports and exercise, and could attribute to the risk of injury, overexertion, and dropout (8,18,19). Suitable support of the development of pacing behavior in a younger population could therefore aid not only the feeling of enjoyment but also the sustained adherence to sports and exercise, with all associated health benefits.…”

“…This could have negative implications for both training (e.g., misinterpreting training dose) and competition (e.g., failure to stick to a pre-planned strategy). Fortunately, it has been proposed that modification of the task characteristics and the social environment (e.g., competitors, coaches, spectators) could increase engagement in (meta-) cognitive functions and positively influence skill acquisition and development (19)(20)(21)49). The social environment could aid the individuals in setting realistic, achievable goals and selecting an appropriate pacing strategy, before the start of the exercise task (21).…”

“…Emphasizing the importance of pacing behavior development, it was noted that a long-term misdistribution of effort could not only lead to suboptimal performance, which could decrease the individuals' feeling of competence and enjoyment during exercise, but could also result in overexertion, injury, and dropout of sports and exercise (8,18). Aiding the pacing behavior of younger individuals could therefore aid their sense of competence and confidence, increasing their enthusiasm and engagement in sports and exercise (19). Following the principle of the constrained-led approach to skill acquisition, the impact of the individual factor of age on the pacing behavior could be accounted for by the modification of the task characteristics or the environment (20).…”

“…Following the principle of the constrained-led approach to skill acquisition, the impact of the individual factor of age on the pacing behavior could be accounted for by the modification of the task characteristics or the environment (20). Edwards et al (19) presented the example of younger individuals running or swimming shorter distance races to accommodate for the physical and physiological differences between younger individuals and adults. It was proposed that by gradually adapting the task characteristics (e.g., the race distance) with age, the pacing behavior can be transferred to the version of the task as performed in adulthood (e.g., longer race distance).…”

The Role of the Social Environment in Pacing and Sports Performance: A Narrative Review from a Self-Regulatory Perspective

“…Within this sports settings, the social environment (e.g., coaches), could observe, step in, and facilitate these intricate processes, especially when athletes are less proficient at self-regulated learning [ 68 ]. Thus, the role of the social environment could be even more beneficial in populations such us youth athletes and/or people with intellectual impairment (II) who are struggling to regulate their exercise intensity during competitive events [ 69 , 70 ]. Coaches should realise their crucial role in assisting athletes to develop the self-regulatory skills that a pacing and sports performance optimisation requires.…”