Team: Me, August Bäckström, and Kalle Rydin

Methods: Semi-structured interviews (six), observations, participant observations, and thematic analysis

Research question: What aspects of the gym experience motivate or pose obstacles for people who typically fall out of the routine of training and going to the gym?

Obstacles

A perceived barrier of entry

Five participants described a barrier of entry that often made them feel like they didn't belong as they didn't have the right knowledge or skills. Further, two of the participants stated that they were intimidated to go to the part of the gym with free weights, where the more experienced athletes usually go.

"There are so many people in there who look like they have completely different knowledge, [...] as if they are doing something that requires you to have done a certain kind of training before." - Woman, 24

Focus on appearance

Influencer ideals, advertisements, and environmental factors like mirrors and brand clothing were described by four of the participants to play a key part in creating a general focus on appearance instead of training.

"You always kind of look at the advertising and on posters in the gym, that everything is at this influencer level and that it is for fit people who are there. So I probably feel like I’m not at that level" - Woman, 27

"Many people stand in front of the mirror to impress others, 'Look! I'm strong and beautiful' and it can get a little negative, a focus on the wrong things." - Man, 28

Lack of seclusion

Similarly, four participants expressed a wish for more seclusion as gym spaces are often very open. Observations showed that empty areas were quickly filled out as people seemed to appreciate some distance from each other.

"This insecurity you feel when you do something you are not really comfortable with, [...] you can not force people not to be there, so then you have to get there sometime when there are no people in the gym." - Woman, 22

Pressure

Five participants described feeling looked at which contributed to feeling more self-conscious in those settings. This was also observed during the observations; people are very keen on looking around their surroundings and keeping an eye on other people. One interviewee further describes this issue:

"You do not know what weight you can handle or for how long, and you build up an insecurity within yourself that is reflected out to others, and others will look at you because you send out insecurity, and then you will perceive that, which only reinforces it, and then it just becomes a vicious circle." - Man, 28

This uncertainty and self-consciousness seem to be limiting people to some extent, as they may skip some areas in the gym to stay away from that feeling entirely. This was also mentioned previously in A perceived barrier of entry.

"Experienced gym goers hang with lots of free weights. [...] I do not want them to see my bad technique. So that kind of prevented me from wanting to be there, and go in there as well." - Woman, 22

During the participatory observation, there were also occasional feelings of awkwardness, embarrassment and self-consciousness for not remembering certain techniques or how much weight to use for a particular exercise.

Motivations

Being physically and mentally healthy

Four interviewees stated that they went to the gym to stay healthy and/or lose weight rather than for looking fit. Two participants also expressed that they exercised to feel good mentally and freshen up their minds.

"I clear my head and break from everyday life. To become physically tired but mentally alert. You can be very tired from work or school, then you go and do a heavy gym workout where you don’t think about anything else but training and making my body feel good." - Man, 28

Social aspects

Three participants described that social aspects are important for them to get motivated to go to the gym. To meet and get to know people that share the same hobby as themselves and get a feeling of community. They further described that having a friend or someone to exercise with, or feeling a sense of responsibility towards them, makes them less likely to skip out.

"That's what's so fun about training with my friend, then I do not have that bad feeling at all, then it's just fun to be at the gym." - Woman 24

"When you have someone to go there with who is motivated, it pushes you a little extra." - Man, 32

Inspiring

Three of the participants expressed that having goals or aims for a particular outcome also motivates them. Seeing hard-working athletes doing what they can to achieve their goals could also motivate them in a similar way.

"Say that I’m training, and I see someone who is handsome and strong — in good physical shape, then maybe I can think that I want to look like him. So then I can set him as a goal." - Man, 28