UNCOVERING THE MOTIVATIONAL STRUCTURE OF EXERCISE: A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between demographic variables and exercise motivation. 764 exercisers from the 18 largest Slovenian fitness clubs completed the Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 questionnaire, which was combined with other demographic questions. The analysis confirmed that men exercise different reasons than women. Young adults crave social recognition and exposure, but also want to get stronger and compete with others. Older adults exercise because they want to recover, stay healthy, control their weight, and stay mobile. Participants who played competitive sports in their youth now exercise because they enjoy exercise, feel challenged, and compete, but also because they want to be recognized socially more than non-competitors who exercise primarily for health reasons. Single people have statistically significantly different motivations to exercise than people who are in a relationship or married, mainly affiliation and social recognition. In contrast, married people exercise mainly for health reasons. Employment status also has an impact on exercise motivation, as does education. People with higher education levels exercise more for health reasons, while less educated people exercise for challenge, competition, and social recognition. These findings highlight the practical importance of motivational structure among athletes from different demographic backgrounds.