Comparing performance and experience in a conventional and accessible gym: a mixed methods study

Exercise offers benefits for people with a disability, yet environmental barriers hinder their participation in gyms. Universal design (UD) may enhance gym accessibility by addressing diverse users' needs, but greater empirical evidence is needed. This mixed methods study compared diverse participants' experiences of barriers and facilitators in a conventional gym and a gym adapted with UD.

Participants were instructed to think aloud as they completed five tasks in each gym while being audio and video recorded. Video observations were used to assign data points to floor plans of each gym, documenting where and how often barriers and facilitators occurred. Directed content analysis of transcripts captured participants' perceptions of each gym. Joint display tables integrated behavioural mapping and think aloud data.

Thirty-nine participants with and without a disability participated. The adapted gym yielded fewer barriers and more facilitators than the conventional gym. Seven themes encompassed participants' perceptions of each gym environment. Data integration identified key physical, social, cognitive, sensory, and environmental factors that affect accessibility and inclusion in gyms.

UD can improve gym accessibility, while fostering inclusive environments that support exercise for people with diverse abilities. Gyms implementing UD may reduce health inequities by accommodating diverse users.