Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Exploring how men's physical activity behaviour changes during and after the Australian Fans-In-Training (Aussie-FIT)
Brendan J Smith1,2, Matthew D McDonald1,2, Joanne McVeigh1,3,4
1Physical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Objectives:
Sufficient physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of chronic disease. In Australia, men experience higher rates of overweight, obesity and cardiovascular disease than women. Gender-sensitized PA interventions like Australian Fans-In-Training (Aussie-FIT) leverage men's interest in sport to promote behaviour change and have shown promise for initiating PA. However, maintaining these changes remains a challenge. While previous research has identified barriers and facilitators to men's PA engagement, fewer studies examine how engagement evolves over time. This study aimed to explore how men make sense of their PA behaviour change journey during and after the 12-week Aussie-FIT program.
Design:
Qualitative study using individual semistructured interviews conducted 3 months post-program.
Methods:
Ten men (mean age = 58.2, SD = 8.85 years) participated in interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with themes deductively mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).
Results:
Five themes were developed: Rediscovering the joy of physical activity through football; Social support in multiple contexts; Physical activity becoming 'second nature'; Seeking and seizing opportunities and 'It really inspired me to keep going, but then it stopped'. Themes mapped to seven TDF domains, with behavioural regulation, environmental context and resources and social influences most relevant for sustaining PA. Early engagement was supported by sport-based identity, nostalgia and social connection, while later engagement involved self-regulatory strategies and transitional support needs.
Conclusions:
These results offer novel, process-oriented insights into how men engage with PA over time, reinforcing the dynamic nature of PA maintenance and the value of tailoring interventions to support men across the behaviour change journey.
