title: Motivation of fitness center participants toward resistance training.
abstract: There is a need to better understand the behavior and sense of motivation of fitness center participants. The purpose of this study was to assess whether or not demographic characteristics and health self-determinism (intrinsic or extrinsic motivation) of fitness center participants were predictive of their levels of resistance training. A cross-sectional design was used; participants were recruited via the Internet to complete an online survey. There were 185 participants (age = 39.1 +/- 11.3 years) in the study. The majority of respondents reported having carried out levels of resistance training that met national health organization recommendations. Regression analysis of the data revealed that health self-determinism predicted quantity of resistance training reported (p = 0.014), whereas demographics did not. Being intrinsically motivated to health self-determinism predicted meeting national resistance training recommendations compared to participants extrinsically motivated (p = 0.007). For those who work with fitness center participants, our findings are useful by identifying participants as a predominantly intrinsically motivated group of people that performs adequate quantities of resistance training; the methodology employed in this study can be used to identify participants in need of increased levels of resistance training and heightened sense of motivation to do so.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Program, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, New Jersey, USA. bkathrins@stockton.edu
authors.forename: Bess P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kathrins
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Turbow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020446:Fitness Centers; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055070:Resistance Training; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult