Laura Martin
University of Kansas, KS·Psychology
Exercise benefits both the body and the brain, yet most adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. Lack of time and low enjoyment are common barriers.
- Fields
Psychology
Neuroscience
Public Health & Epidemiology
- Topics
physical activity
exercise adherence
episodic future thinking
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through May 2027
What they work on
- Test whether brief guided imagery using positive affect imagery (PAI) engages the brain's reward system and builds positive associations with exercise in mid-life adults.
- Test whether episodic future thinking (EFT), imagining one's healthy and physically active future self, engages the brain's regulation system and strengthens goal-directed choices.
- Refine a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol so that it is more acceptable to mid-life adults.
- Evaluate whether the optimized guided imagery approach improves exercise adherence and physical activity during a 6-week HIIT intervention.
More about the research
This project draws on dual-system models of the brain. In these models, a reward system drives us toward things that feel good, and a regulation system helps us stick to long-term goals. The project tests whether brief guided imagery can engage both systems to help mid-life adults keep exercising, with the long-term aim of promoting brain health and reducing Alzheimer's disease risk.
Why it matters
Most adults fail to meet physical activity guidelines, missing exercise's benefits for heart and brain health. A brief, scalable guided imagery approach could help mid-life adults stick with exercise programs. Findings could inform future interventions aimed at healthier behavior and Alzheimer's disease prevention.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Molly Maxfield
Arizona State University Campus Immersion, AZ·Psychology
Establish the feasibility of, and refine, a Fitbit-supported goal-setting physical activity intervention for insufficiently active midlife adults with obesity in a Phase 1 pilot study.
Brandon Oberlin
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, IN·Psychology
Test whether 30 daily virtual reality encounters with digitally age-progressed Future Selves improve abstinence and alcohol use outcomes at 1 and 6 months in people in early recovery from alcohol use disorder, compared with a virtual reality control condition.
Kevin Volpp
University of Pennsylvania, PA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Support research across the NIH Stage Model, from basic idea testing to dissemination, that translates behavioral economic concepts into better health behaviors and health for older adults.
The school
University of Kansas: 26 labs on PI Pages, $546M a year on research, 351 research doctorates a year.
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