Wellness motivation in cardiac rehabilitation. Lack of patient adherence to prescribed regimens is a fundamental problem in cardiac rehabilitation programs. A causative factor in lack of patient adherence may be related to failure to address differences in individual health behavior motivation in cardiac rehabilitation. A group of 52 patients who had had myocardial infarction were sampled to test the relationship between social support systems, health locus of control, health value orientations, and wellness motivation. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated significant positive correlations between health locus of control variables, health value orientation variations, and wellness motivation. Health locus of control and health value orientation variables entered into a multiple regression equation to explain 32% of the variation in wellness motivation. Awareness of individual motivational responses that influence health behaviors in cardiac rehabilitation may enable nurses to develop intervention strategies for patients with cardiovascular disease who would benefit from modifying their risk-producing life-styles. 