Abstract
Home-based exercise has become the most viable choice to maintain health during the prolonged stay-at-home precautions in response to the rapidly growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding motivation is the key to initiate and sustain adherence to exercise behaviour. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine motivation for home-based exercise during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period and (b) whether sex and age differences play a role in motivation. University students (N = 378, M age = 21.66 yrs) completed an online version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 (EMI-2). Results indicated that the top motive for home-based exercise was positive health, while the least important motive was social recognition for all participants. Males were motivated more by strength/endurance, challenge, competition, social recognition, and health pressures, than females. Students 20 years old and over were motivated more by ill-health avoidance, appearance, and agility than those younger than 20 years old. The findings underscore the important motives based on sex and age which influenced students to engage in home-based exercise during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2394-4048 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of physical Education Research |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 22 2021 |