Exercising With Others, Motivation, and 1-Year Maintenance of Exercise Behavior Among Workers.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Health Psychology
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Maintaining regular exercise is crucial for overall health and well-being.
• While social exercise is a potential strategy for adherence, its long-term impact and underlying mechanisms require further investigation.
• This study addresses the need to confirm the association between social exercise and sustained physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal association between exercising with others and 1-year exercise behavior maintenance among workers.
• To examine exercise motivation as a potential mediator in the relationship between social exercise and sustained physical activity.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study involving 2819 Japanese workers was conducted.
• Data on exercise participation, weekly exercise time, social exercise habits, and motivation were collected via online surveys at baseline and 1-year follow-up.
• Path analysis was used to examine the mediating role of exercise motivation and weekly exercise time.

Main Results:

• Exercising with others at baseline was indirectly and significantly associated with 1-year exercise behavior maintenance.
• Exercise motivation and weekly exercise time at baseline acted as significant mediators in this association.
• Path analyses confirmed a positive indirect effect of social exercise on sustained physical activity.

Conclusions:

• Exercising with others indirectly promotes 1-year maintenance of exercise behavior, primarily through enhanced exercise motivation.
• Interventions encouraging social participation in exercise may be effective for supporting motivation and long-term adherence.
• Findings highlight the importance of social factors in maintaining healthy exercise habits.