Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise
Regular physical activity can prevent various physical and mental illnesses or improve their prognosis. However, only about half of the German population meets the WHO recommendations for physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence engagement in regular exercise a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1515687/full |
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| author | Antonia Wambsganz Katharina Köpl Lukas Roell Tim Fischer Rebecca Schwaiger Alkomiet Hasan Alkomiet Hasan Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Isabel Maurus |
| author_facet | Antonia Wambsganz Katharina Köpl Lukas Roell Tim Fischer Rebecca Schwaiger Alkomiet Hasan Alkomiet Hasan Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Isabel Maurus |
| author_sort | Antonia Wambsganz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Regular physical activity can prevent various physical and mental illnesses or improve their prognosis. However, only about half of the German population meets the WHO recommendations for physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence engagement in regular exercise and could help increase physical activity levels in the general population. To this end, we conducted a cross-sectional study using questionnaire instruments and self-designed items. The research cohort comprised a sample of online-acquired data from 1,119 mentally healthy individuals. Higher regular exercise was associated with higher both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, resilience, internal locus of control, and risk-taking behaviour, as well as higher scores in the personality traits conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Higher regular exercise was also linked to lower external locus of control. Whether participants exercised was also related to external circumstances, such as their financial situation, whether family members frequently exercised during childhood or the availability of sports facilities. Furthermore, participants' preferred exercise environment was found to be different from reality. Despite expressing a preference for outdoor and group exercise, most participants reported exercising alone and indoors. People who exercised regularly during childhood stated higher levels of intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation and resilience. Based on our findings, we suggest that additional low-threshold, low-cost opportunities for physical exercise should be provided in public spaces that lack exercise facilities, as well as in childcare settings with a particular focus on disadvantaged social groups. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-985102abf7364063b6bf75d80db5a755 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj-art-985102abf7364063b6bf75d80db5a7552025-08-20T01:54:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672024-12-01610.3389/fspor.2024.15156871515687Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exerciseAntonia Wambsganz0Katharina Köpl1Lukas Roell2Tim Fischer3Rebecca Schwaiger4Alkomiet Hasan5Alkomiet Hasan6Andrea Schmitt7Andrea Schmitt8Andrea Schmitt9Andrea Schmitt10Peter Falkai11Peter Falkai12Peter Falkai13Isabel Maurus14Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics of the University Augsburg, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Bezirkskrankenhaus Augsburg, Augsburg, GermanyGerman Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Munich/Augsburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyGerman Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Munich/Augsburg, GermanyLaboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilMax Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyGerman Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Munich/Augsburg, GermanyMax Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyRegular physical activity can prevent various physical and mental illnesses or improve their prognosis. However, only about half of the German population meets the WHO recommendations for physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence engagement in regular exercise and could help increase physical activity levels in the general population. To this end, we conducted a cross-sectional study using questionnaire instruments and self-designed items. The research cohort comprised a sample of online-acquired data from 1,119 mentally healthy individuals. Higher regular exercise was associated with higher both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, resilience, internal locus of control, and risk-taking behaviour, as well as higher scores in the personality traits conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Higher regular exercise was also linked to lower external locus of control. Whether participants exercised was also related to external circumstances, such as their financial situation, whether family members frequently exercised during childhood or the availability of sports facilities. Furthermore, participants' preferred exercise environment was found to be different from reality. Despite expressing a preference for outdoor and group exercise, most participants reported exercising alone and indoors. People who exercised regularly during childhood stated higher levels of intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation and resilience. Based on our findings, we suggest that additional low-threshold, low-cost opportunities for physical exercise should be provided in public spaces that lack exercise facilities, as well as in childcare settings with a particular focus on disadvantaged social groups.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1515687/fullphysical exercisemotivationpersonality traitsself-efficacycross-sectional studyonline survey |
| spellingShingle | Antonia Wambsganz Katharina Köpl Lukas Roell Tim Fischer Rebecca Schwaiger Alkomiet Hasan Alkomiet Hasan Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Andrea Schmitt Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Peter Falkai Isabel Maurus Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise Frontiers in Sports and Active Living physical exercise motivation personality traits self-efficacy cross-sectional study online survey |
| title | Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| title_full | Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| title_fullStr | Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| title_short | Reasons to move—a cross-sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| title_sort | reasons to move a cross sectional study to identify factors promoting regular exercise |
| topic | physical exercise motivation personality traits self-efficacy cross-sectional study online survey |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1515687/full |
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