Perceived Capability, Social Belonging, and Behavioral Adherence in Adult Group Fitness Classes: A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Predictors
Gao and colleagues reviewed twenty-one studies on what keeps adults attending instructor-led group fitness classes, sorting the evidence by which psychological factor was tested. Self-efficacy came out strongest: believing you can do the specific thing, measured close to the decision it is meant to predict, was consistently associated with attendance, though the association weakened when the measure was general rather than specific or when the outcome was whether people continued after the programme ended. The social factors were more conditional. Specific measures, such as attraction to the group, cohesion, a sense of reliable alliance and identification with the group, performed better than broad measures of social support, which suggests that generic belonging is not what does the work. Instructor behaviour mattered through the motivational climate it creates. Enjoyment and how the class felt had the weakest independent evidence, showing up mainly when measured close to the moment of deciding whether to attend. The authors are direct that the evidence is mixed and mostly observational.
Gao and colleagues reviewed twenty-one studies on what keeps adults attending instructor-led group fitness classes, sorting the evidence by which psychological factor was tested. Self-efficacy came out strongest: believing you can do the specific thing, measured close to the decision it is meant to predict, was consistently associated with attendance, though the association weakened when the measure was general rather than specific or when the outcome was whether people continued after the programme ended. The social factors were more conditional. Specific measures, such as attraction to the group, cohesion, a sense of reliable alliance and identification with the group, performed better than broad measures of social support, which suggests that generic belonging is not what does the work. Instructor behaviour mattered through the motivational climate it creates. Enjoyment and how the class felt had the weakest independent evidence, showing up mainly when measured close to the moment of deciding whether to attend. The authors are direct that the evidence is mixed and mostly observational.
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Reproduced as it was written when this source was checked, figures and all.
doi:10.3390/bs16060882. Version of record, published 1 June 2026.
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- Nobody Is Born Consistent, Why We Move
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The source
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16060882
DOI: 10.3390/bs16060882