Men's motivation to go to the gymnasium: A study of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Gymnasiums provide an opportunity for individuals to work on physical activities that are beneficial to health and fitness. However, research has found that men are lagging behind women in the use of health and fitness facilities. Statistics have shown that a large majority of gymnasium patrons are females and that the engagement of men in healthy physical activities has been on a decline. Accordingly, there is a need for solutions to encourage the participation of men in healthy physical activities, particularly in the gymnasium. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to understand what motivates men to workout at the gymnasium. Quantitative data analyses are employed using data collected from a systematically selected sample of 360 male gymnasium-goers at gymnasium centres in Malaysia via self-administered questionnaires. The study suggests that men s motivation can be categorised into two categories: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Collectively, ideal body image, need for socialisation, self-identity, peer influences, physical attraction, and media are found to have significant effects in motivating men to go to the gymnasium. Implications of the research findings, recommendations, limitations and future research directions are presented.