Abstract:

Although exercise motivation is a well-established research area in exercise and sport psychology in the West, relatively little work on this topic is available in the Philippines. This study explored motives for exercise among Filipinos using an open-ended methodology. Five hundred ninety-two Filipinos aged 15 to 69 were asked to free-list possible motives for exercise participation. Two thousand ninety-five responses (about four per participant) were coded by two independent judges via direct content analysis and using themes derived from the Exercise Motivation Inventory subscales (EMI-2; Markland & Ingledew, 1997). The most frequently identified motives for exercise were highly extrinsic – Filipinos exercise for weight management, positive health, and strength and endurance. Challenge, social recognition, and competition were the least frequently cited motives. Results also surfaced participation motives outside those in the EMI-2, such as exercising to satisfy a requirement, to improve posture, and due to directed social influence from peers and family.