TEL AVIV (Press Release) — A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) used AI tools for the first time to discover what motivates people to exercise and which strategies are most effective for maintaining physical fitness.
The researchers found that 23.9% of the users who engage in sports do so to improve their appearance, 18.9% exercise to maintain their physical health, and 16.9% exercise to maintain their mental health. They used artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to scan thousands of posts on the Reddit social network to reach their conclusions.
The study was led by a team of researchers from the School of Public Health at TAU’s Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences: Dr. Michal Shmueli-Scheuer, Yedidya Silverman, Professor Israel Halperin, and Professor Yftach Gepner. The paper was published on January 13, 2025, in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Beyond the question of motivation, the researchers also sought to identify strategies that induce people to engage in physical activity. According to the Reddit posts, 30% rely on workout habits (e.g. morning/evening, every Saturday morning), 13.9% set goals (such as losing weight or running 5 km), 12.1% enjoy the activity itself, 9.7% enjoy socializing during workouts, 8.9% use media (such as YouTube workout videos), 2.8% use fitness apps, and 2.5% have made a financial commitment to adhere to physical activity.
“Researchers in our field usually rely on cumbersome old-school questionnaires, containing inherent biases, to understand why people engage in sports and what strategies help them adhere to physical activity,” Professor Gepner explains.
“It’s an astonishing phenomenon: science tells us that if we put just over two hours a week into physical activity, we can prevent 30% of diseases, improve our quality of life, and extend our lifespan. But less than a quarter of the population actually does this. Why? What have we failed to see? While we all wish our loved one’s good health on their birthday, a wish of ‘good workouts’ is quite rare.
“But there is a way to be healthy — by exercising. That’s why it’s crucial to understand what really motivates people to engage in physical activity and what helps them stick with it.”
Professor Gepner concludes, “The results are quite significant. One strategy is more successful and therefore more recommended than others — creating exercise habits. If you want to be healthier, you need to develop healthy habits, period. Instead of a morning cigarette, drink two glasses of water and go out for a run. 30% is an empirical statistic that is hard to argue with, so as the Head of the Department of Health Promotion, I can confidently say to the public: develop habits and be healthy.”
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Preceding provided by American Friends of Tel Aviv University