Fitness center use and subsequent achievement of exercise goals. A prospective study on long-term fitness center members.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the relationship between fitness center use and long-term members' subsequent goal achievement is limited. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the prospective association between the use of fitness centers during 18 months and subsequent self-reported goal achievement among long-term members. METHODS: This was a registry- and survey-based longitudinal study of 2851 people who had been members at a Norwegian fitness center chain for more than two years. Fitness center use from December 2016 to June 2018 was obtained from registry data. Subsequent goal achievement was measured in a survey in June 2018, assessed by a 1-100 visual analogue scale, and a score between 0 and 50 was defined as low goal achievement. RESULTS: Visiting the fitness center frequently and regularly, and having frequent group activity bookings were associated with higher subsequent self-reported goal achievement. Participants with fewest visits (1-57 days) during 18 months were more likely to report low goal achievement than participants with most visits (118-543 days) (OR = 8.5; 95% CI 6.3-11.4). Fitness trainer bookings was not clearly associated with subsequent goal achievement. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent and regular long-term fitness center use were associated with higher subsequent self-reported goal achievement.

The effect of initial support on fitness center use in new fitness center members. A randomized controlled trial.

This provider and participant blinded parallel-group randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate if initial support given to new members via telephone and e-mail, compared to self-directed use, had an effect on booking with a fitness trainer, number of visits to the center, and membership duration. Participants included 356 new members, 174 randomized to the intervention group, and 182 to the control group. The intervention group received support to use the fitness center facilities through two phone calls and one e-mail over the first eight weeks of their membership. The control group got usual practice, which is self-directed use. Participants in the intervention group were more likely to book at least one session with a fitness trainer during the first six months (odds ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-2.5). However, the intervention did not influence the number of visits (mean difference after four years -11.7 days, 95% CI -34.8 to 11.3) or time to membership termination during the follow-up period (hazard ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.3). In conclusion, initial support to use the fitness center facilities given to new fitness center members via telephone and e-mail increased the proportion of bookings with a fitness trainer during the first months of the membership, but it did not have an effect on the number of visits or membership termination during four years.

Long-term members' use of fitness centers: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Although the health benefits of physical activity are well documented, a large proportion of the population remains less active than recommended by current guidelines. Commercial fitness centers provide an opportunity to perform physical activity and exercise, but there has been little research focusing on ordinary members at commercial fitness centers. The aim of this study was therefore to explore what long-term members (> 2 years) wanted to achieve with their membership and to identify important factors that influenced them to use the fitness center as a means for physical activity. METHOD: This was a qualitative study with 21 semi-structured individual interviews of adult long-term fitness center members in Trondheim, a city in Central Norway with approximately 190,000 inhabitants. The participants had been continuous fitness center members for more than two years and were asked about their experiences using a fitness center and what they wanted to achieve with the membership. The data was analyzed thematically with the method of systematic text condensation. RESULTS: The results were categorized into three main themes: "Health benefits and physical appearance"; "Accessible, safe, and comfortable to use"; and "Variety, flexibility, and support." The participants stated that they wanted to achieve health benefits, but they also talked about physical appearance. The fitness center was mainly described as easily accessible and a comfortable place for physical activity. Some female participants emphasized the feeling of safety compared to outdoor activity. Variation in activities, making commitments, and getting support from staff and other members were factors contributing to use of the fitness center for physical activity. CONCLUSION: Achieving desired health benefits and improving physical appearance were the main drivers for long-term members' use of the fitness center. The fitness center was preferred due to the comfort of the facilities and the possibility to commit to specific exercise times and activities.

Expectations towards participation in easily accessible pain management interventions: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: People with chronic pain use a range of healthcare services, but they also report a high degree of dissatisfaction with treatments. One reason for dissatisfaction might be participants' expectations towards treatments. The aim of this study was to explore expectations of people with chronic pain towards participation in easily accessible pain management interventions delivered in public primary care. METHODS: A qualitative study using semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews with 21 informants. The informants were recruited among participants enrolled in a randomised controlled trial on the effect of an easily accessible self-management course for people with chronic pain. The data were analysed thematically using Systematic Text Condensation. RESULTS: Having experienced pain for a long time, there was no specific expectation of a cure or a significant alleviation of the pain. The informants' expectations mainly concerned a hope that participation could lead to a better everyday life. The informants said that hope was important as it motivated them to keep going and continue self-care activities. The hope acted as a driving force towards trying new interventions and maintaining motivation to do activities they experienced as beneficial. Both concrete aspects of the current intervention and an understanding of what interventions in general could offer contributed to the informants hope. The expectations centred about the interventions being something new, as they had not previously tried this service, an opportunity to gain and reinforce skills, to help them continue to grow as a person, to meet others in similar situations, and to access professional support in an easy manner. Participating in interventions provided by healthcare services was seen by some as an act of self-care, where they did something active to manage their health. CONCLUSIONS: Expectations towards the interventions were related to a hope for participation leading to a better everyday life. The role of hope for peoples' motivation to self-care implies that service providers should be aware of and help to maintain hope for a better everyday life. The importance of social support as part of self-care should be acknowledged when developing interventions targeting chronic pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02531282 . Registered on August 21 2015.