Health promotion: The impact of beliefs of health benefits, social relations and enjoyment on exercise continuation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore how and why participants in structured exercise intervention programs continue or stop exercising after the program is finished. We conducted four focus group interviews with four groups of middle-aged and elderly men (total n = 28) who had participated in exercise interventions involving playing either a team sport (football) or a more individually focused activity (spinning and crossfit). Our results show that different social, organizational and material structures inherent in the different activities shape the subjects' enjoyment of exercise participation, as well as their intention and ability to continue being active. In conclusion, team sport activities seem to be intrinsically motivating to the participants through positive social interaction and play. They are therefore more likely to result in exercise continuation than activities that rely primarily on extrinsic motivation such as the expectation of improved health and well-being.

Are team sport games more motivating than individual exercise for middle-aged women?

“…Playing football seemed to give the participants more positive experiences of interaction during the activity, therefore giving more possibilities to satisfy the need for relatedness. It was also found that the technically focused nature of football offered more opportunities for the participants to experience feelings of competence than the fitness training (Nielsen, et al, 2014).…”

“…It was expected that participants in a team game would score overall higher on the self-determined forms of motivation, intrinsic motivation and EM identified regulation, than the participants in an individual physical activity (Nielsen, et al, 2014;Wilson, et al, 2006). No group differences in EM introjected regulation and external regulation were expected.…”

“…Research has indicated that continuation of an activity is associated with the more self-determined forms of motivation: intrinsic motivation (e.g., Moller, Buscemi, McFadden, Hedeker, & Spring, 2013;Nielsen, et al, 2014;Ntoumanis, 2005;Ryan & Deci, 2007), as well as with the forms of EM integrated regulation (e.g., Wilson, et al, 2006) and EM identified regulation (e.g., Wilson, Sabiston, Mack, & Blanchard, 2012). To facilitate continuation in physical activity, it therefore seems prudent to investigate the amount of motivation connected to different physical activities.…”

“…In a recent study, it was investigated how middle-aged male participants were motivated for team sports and individual exercise (Nielsen, et al, 2014). The researchers found the team game football to be more intrinsically motivating than the individual fitness activities crossfit and spinning.…”

“…As the study was novel, no hypotheses with regard to development in motivation over time nor with regard to group differences in development of motivation over time were formulated. Turning to the association between motivation and continuation after the intervention, it was expected that the self-determined forms of motivation, intrinsic motivation and EM identified regulation, would predict continuation positively (Nielsen, et al, 2014;Wilson, et al, 2006). Furthermore, it was expected that EM introjected regulation would predict continuation positively (Hartmann, Dohle, & Siegrist, 2015).…”