Leisure Time Sports Activities and Life Satisfaction: Deeper Insights Based on a Representative Survey from Germany

Abstract

Observational and experimental studies show that leisure time sporting activity (LTSA) is associated with higher well-being. However, scholars often seem to assume that 1) LTSA fosters “general” life satisfaction, thereby ignoring effects on domain satisfaction; 2) the effect of LTSA on well-being is linear and independent of a person’s general activity level; 3) the amount of LTSA is more important than the repertoire of LTSA, i.e. the number of different activities; 4) all kinds of LTSA are equal in their effects, irrespective of spatial and organisational context conditions. Using data from the German SALLSA-Study (“Sport, Active Lifestyle and Life Satisfaction”), a large-scale CAWI-Survey (N = 1008) representing the population ≥ 14 years, the paper takes a closer look on these assumptions. Findings demonstrate that LTSA is associated with general life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction (concerning relationships, appearance, leisure, work and health), but that the relationship is most pronounced for leisure satisfaction. Associations of sport with life satisfaction, leisure satisfaction and subjective health are non-linear, approaching an injection point from which on additional LTSA is no longer beneficial. Moreover, findings lend support to the notion that diversity in LTSA matters, as individuals with higher variation in sports activities are more satisfied. Finally, results with regard to spatial and organizational context suggest that outdoor sports and club-organized sports have additional benefits.

Forced adaptations of sporting behaviours during the Covid-19 pandemic and their effects on subjective well-being

“…Whereas numerous previous studies have shown that LTSE is beneficial for a variety of quality of life and mental health outcomes (e.g. Wiese et al 2018;Mutz, Reimers and Demetriou 2020), only few accounts addressed the role of LTSE changes and particularly forced LTSE reductions for health and well-being. A handful of experiments with small and non-representative samples indicate that a forced withdrawal of sport and exercise for a short period is detrimental for mental health (Edwards and Loprinzi 2016;Endrighi et al 2016;Blough and Loprinzi 2018).…”

Leisure time sports and exercise activities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of working parents

“…A possible remedy for pandemic-related strains and frustrations is sport and exercise. Beyond their general benefits for various aspects of physical health (Rhodes, Janssen, Bredin, Warburton, & Bauman, 2017 ), sport and exercise activities are also associated with positive mood and high levels of life satisfaction (Dolan, Kavetsos, & Vlaev, 2014 ; Mutz, Reimers, & Demetriou, 2020 ). Scholars also regard a regular involvement in sports as a buffer of stress, facilitator for coping and source of resilience (Gerber & Pühse, 2009 ; Klaperski, 2018 ).…”

Student - Athletes’ quest for balance: Stories from Istanbul

“…In future studies based on the topic of student-athletes, the researchers could study the types of approaches that can be used by conducting interviews with student-athletes, teachers, and school administrations. Mutz et al (2020) analysed life satisfaction within the frame of leisure time sports activities through a survey conducted on the German young population. The study revealed that sports have a beneficial effect on "well-being".…”