title: Physical Activity, Mind Wandering, Affect, and Sleep: An Ecological Momentary Assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A considerable portion of daily thought is spent in mind wandering. This behavior has been related to positive (eg, future planning, problem solving) and negative (eg, unhappiness, impaired cognitive performance) outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Based on previous research suggesting future-oriented (ie, prospective) mind wandering may support autobiographical planning and self-regulation, this study examined associations between hourly mind wandering and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and the impact of affect and daily sleep on these relations.
  
  
  METHODS
  College-aged adults (N=33) participated in a mobile phone-delivered ecological momentary assessment study for 1 week. Sixteen hourly prompts assessing mind wandering and affect were delivered daily via participants' mobile phones. Perceived sleep quality and duration was assessed during the first prompt each day, and participants wore an ActiGraph accelerometer during waking hours throughout the study week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study findings suggest present-moment mind wandering was positively associated with future MVPA (P=.03), and this relationship was moderated by affective state (P=.04). Moreover, excessive sleep the previous evening was related to less MVPA across the following day (P=.007). Further, mind wandering was positively related to activity only among those who did not oversleep (P=.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these results have implications for multiple health behavior interventions targeting physical activity, affect, and sleep. Researchers may also build on this work by studying these relationships in the context of other important behaviors and psychosocial factors (eg, tobacco use, depression, loneliness).
authors: Exercise Psychology Lab, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States. fanning4@illinois.edu.
authors: Jason
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5527-1698
authors: J
authors: Fanning
authors: Michael
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7792-2511
authors: M
authors: Mackenzie
authors: Sarah
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2170-9564
authors: S
authors: Roberts
authors: Ines
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7287-3036
authors: I
authors: Crato
authors: Diane
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9545-9556
authors: D
authors: Ehlers
authors: Edward
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4574-3292
authors: E
authors: McAuley
keywords: affect; attention; mHealth; physical activity; sleep