Analyzing motivation for tele-exercise in adult fitness app users

Abstract

Background: Tele-exercise—using mobile apps or digital platforms—has expanded access to guided physical activity, potentially contributing to public health. The motivational mechanisms that drive individuals to use mobile fitness apps may differ from more traditional forms of exercise and remain limited. Given that motivation undeniably plays a role in the uptake and maintenance of exercise, this study aims to provide insight into the motivational regulation of tele-exercise users, based on the self-determination theory.

Methods: An ad hoc scale was developed. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the scale. Data were inferentially analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Bonferroni post hoc tests.

Results: The ad hoc scale showed adequate consistency indices with reliability values ≥0.83, for all (i.e., intrinsic, identified, introjected) motivation dimensions. CFA confirmed the factor structure, with loads >0.51, and composite reliabilities 0.54 to 0.74, for each factor. Construct validity was proven adequate through adjustment of indices tests [Comparative Fit Index (CFI) =0.990; Tucker & Lewis Index (TLI) =0.976, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =0.058]. Statistically significant differences were found relative to sex, previous activity level and fitness goal, for some but not all motivation types (n=753). No statistically significant differences were found for motivation, relative to age.

Conclusions: The common understanding that intrinsic motivation is desirable for sustained behavior change may need to be reinterpreted for the field of leisure-time, tele-exercise. These findings provide new insights into how motivation varies among fitness app users and suggest that digital interventions may benefit from reframing motivational strategies to better support exercise adherence.